burlesque

American  

[ber-lesk] / bərˈlɛsk /

noun

1. an artistic composition, especially literary or dramatic, that, for the sake of laughter, vulgarizes lofty material or treats ordinary material with mock dignity.

   Synonyms:

   farce, lampoon, satire

2. any ludicrous parody or grotesque caricature.

3. Also burlesk a humorous and provocative stage show featuring slapstick humor, comic skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus.

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adjective

1. involving ludicrous or mocking treatment of a solemn subject.

2. of, relating to, or like stage-show burlesque.

verb (used with object)

burlesqued, burlesquing

1. to make ridiculous by mocking representation.

verb (used without object)

burlesqued, burlesquing

1. to use caricature.

burlesque British  

/ bɜːˈlɛsk /

noun

1. an artistic work, esp literary or dramatic, satirizing a subject by caricaturing it

2. a ludicrous imitation or caricature

3. a play of the 17th–19th centuries that parodied some contemporary dramatic fashion or event

4. Also: burlesk.  Slang name: burleycue.  theatre a bawdy comedy show of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: the striptease eventually became one of its chief elements

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a burlesque

verb

1. to represent or imitate (a person or thing) in a ludicrous way; caricature

Related Words

Burlesque, caricature, parody, travesty refer to the literary or dramatic forms that imitate serious works or subjects to achieve a humorous or satiric purpose. The characteristic device of burlesque is mockery of both high and low through association with their opposites: a burlesque of high and low life. Caricature, usually associated with visual arts or with visual effects in literary works, implies exaggeration of characteristic details: The caricature emphasized his nose. Parody achieves its humor through application of the manner or technique, usually of a well-known writer, to unaccustomed subjects: a parody by Swift. Travesty implies a grotesque form of burlesque: characters so changed as to produce a travesty.

Other Word Forms

• burlesquely adverb
• burlesquer noun
• preburlesque adjective
• unburlesqued adjective

Etymology

Origin of burlesque

1650–60; < French < Italian burlesco, equivalent to burl ( a ) jest (perhaps < Spanish; burladero ) + -esco -esque

Explanation

In contemporary usage, burlesque is a playfully nostalgic form of striptease — think fans and feather boas rather than explicit nudity — but this is just the latest form of an ironic style of entertainment dating back to medieval times. Burlesque comes from burla, Spanish for "joke." Comedy has always been an essential part of burlesque art, but it's comedy of a particular kind. Burlesque is satirical, and it uses exaggeration that can be extreme. Early examples of burlesque in English literature can be found in the Canterbury Tales. By the eighteenth century, the word was used to describe often risqué parodies of serious operas or plays. Burlesque became associated with striptease in the music halls and vaudeville theaters of nineteenth-century America.

Example Sentences

At last, the narrative style breaks out of burlesque into something worthy of a celebrated contemporary author.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

It’s debatable whether he’s doing a burlesque of Susan Collins or is simply out of his depth.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

The salvaged materials are sold to costume designers, ravers, and people in the burlesque industry, who save by buying second hand.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2025

Newport Theater — If you love a good show before dinner or are a connoisseur of burlesque, you absolutely must check out the Newport Theater.

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2024

Gussies comment about burlesque was a snide allusion to Cyril’s hand-painted tie.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Related Words

• farce
• spoof
• travesty