opéra bouffe

[ op-er-uh boof, op-ruh; French aw-pey-ra boof ]

noun

, plural o·pé·ra bouffes, o·pé·ras bouffe, French o·pé·ras bouffes [aw-pey-, r, a, , boof].

1. a comic opera, especially of farcical character.

opéra bouffe

/ ɔpera buf; ˈɒpərə ˈbuːf /

noun

1. a type of light or satirical opera common in France during the 19th century

Word History and Origins

Origin of opéra bouffe¹

Borrowed into English from French around 1865–70

Word History and Origins

Origin of opéra bouffe¹

from French: comic opera

Example Sentences

Turner, who exhibited an opéra bouffe appearance but was a slashing and dangerous player, had beaten Bobby in the previous year’s Rosenwald.

From Literature

Opéra bouffe twists into opéra sérieux.

From New York Times

But 2½ hours of teenage insecurities turned into pop opéra bouffe make for a patience-trying endurance test for all but the most tolerant observers.

From Washington Post

As scandals go, this was minor stuff — more opéra bouffe than outrage.

From New York Times

Here, it seemed, was the opéra bouffe climax of Mr. Trump’s campaign against the media, a bizarro-world spectacle that both encapsulated and parodied the president’s animus toward a major democratic institution.

From New York Times