farce

11 synonyms and 2 antonyms for farce, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A comic play or film built on absurd situations, mistaken identity, slamming doors and characters behaving with wild improbability, written purely to get laughs rather than to say anything serious.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

comedy

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

sham mockery stuffing

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

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Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A comic play or film built on absurd situations, mistaken identity, slamming doors and characters behaving with wild improbability, written purely to get laughs rather than to say anything serious.

“The theatre is staging a Victorian farce with six doors and four sets of trousers.”

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Opposites

tragedy drama

2. noun

A situation or process so badly handled or so obviously rigged that it cannot be taken seriously.

“The election was a farce — two of the three candidates were disqualified the night before.”

sham travesty mockery charade

3. noun technical

In cookery, a seasoned stuffing of minced meat, herbs or breadcrumbs used to fill poultry, fish or vegetables.

“Spoon the farce into the boned chicken and truss it tightly.”

forcemeat stuffing

How to use farce

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

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Neutral as a theatrical term; sharply critical in the 'sham' sense. The adjective is farcical.

Etymology

From French farce, literally 'stuffing', from Latin farcire 'to stuff'. Comic interludes were originally 'stuffed' into the gaps between the acts of serious religious plays, and the name of the filling transferred to the joke.

Full origin of farce →

Frequently asked questions

What does “farce” mean?

The word “farce” means a comedy built on exaggerated, improbable situations. In plain terms, either a silly, exaggerated comedy, or a real situation so badly handled it becomes absurd.

What is the difference between a farce and a comedy?

Comedy is the whole category of writing meant to amuse; farce is one narrow style within it. A farce relies on improbable situations, physical business and escalating confusion rather than on wit or character, so all farces are comedies but most comedies are not farces.

How do you pronounce “farce”?

“Farce” is pronounced fahs (/fɑɹs/ in IPA).

What is the difference between a farce and a parody?

A farce invents an absurd situation of its own and plays it at high speed. A parody imitates a specific existing work, person or style in order to mock it, so a parody always needs a target while a farce does not.

How do you use “farce” in a sentence?

Here is “farce” used in a sentence: “The play is a farce about mistaken identities at a wedding.”

Why do people call a trial or election a farce?

Because the outcome looks decided in advance and the procedure is only for show, which makes the whole thing feel staged rather than real. Saying it is a farce means the process was theatre, not a genuine test.

What part of speech is “farce”?

“Farce” is a noun.

Where does the word “farce” come from?

The word “farce” comes from Latin. From Old French farse, "stuffing," from Latin farcire, "to stuff" — the comic-theatre sense grew from the idea of stuffing a play with jokes and business, the same way you'd stuff a dish.

Is “farce” a common word?

“Farce” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

How many meanings does “farce” have?

“Farce” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a comedy built on exaggerated, improbable situations.

Related words

far breton farse tragedy travesty

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Nearby words

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