English Satire Vocabulary

Epigram

A brief saying or remark that expresses an idea in a clever or humorous manner

Caricature

A picture of someone which exaggerates their distinctive feature to evoke humor and make them seem cartoonish

Reversal

Doing what is opposite of the norm

Hyperbole

Exaggeration that is meant to be a joke and not taken seriously

Self-deprecating

Extremely critical of yourself. Undervaluing yourself

Connotation

Feeling that goes along with its original meaning-metaphorical writing Ex: In the US Nazism had a negative connotation

Invective

Insulting language used to show one's hate towards others for satirical purposes

Juvenalian Satire

Irony that involves bitter and pessimistic criticism; uses personal angles to produce anger in the reader

Denotation

Literal meaning of a word or phrase

Sardonic

Mocking someone in a cynical matter

Parody

Overly made fun of

Tongue-in-cheek

Saying something without really meaning it saying something in a sarcastic manner

Urbane

Sophisticated, well dressed, polite, well-mannered

Paradox

Statement that goes against itself wit both statements being true but cannot be true at the same time

Litotes

Statement where instead of something being claimed directly, the denial of the opposite is said Ex: You won't be sorry

Ridicule

Teasing, mockery, sarcasm, to make fun of in an unkind matter

Incongruity

The idea that something is inappropriate in a certain setting or situation

Wit

The quick ability to use words and ideas in a unique, humorous way; also known as clever humor

Lampoon

To expose someone publicly by using satire, irony, or ridicule

Mocking

To ridicule, to make fun of, to mimic, to make fun of with the intention to hurt them

Farce

Using funny and foolish comedy usually rude characterization of situations that are highly improbable

Facetious

Using humor to talk about a serious issue

Sarcasm

Using irony to mock or ridicule; to sneer or scoff

Horatian Satire

When a character makes a clever comment that criticizes someone or something for a chuckle

Allusion

When an author makes an indirect reference to a well known figure or even in speech, text, or song

Verbal Irony

When someone says something that goes against how they are actually feeling. Using sarcasm while talking Ex: Soft like a brick

Understatement

When someone says something that makes an event seem smaller or less important than it actually is

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something about a situation that the characters do not Ex: In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo thinks Juliet is dead, so he kills himself, but the audience knows that Juliet is not actually dead

Situational Irony

When there is a difference between expectations of how something is supposed to happen, and how it really happens