send-up

8 synonyms for send-up, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A comic imitation of a person, programme or style that exaggerates its most recognisable features in order to make fun of it.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

parody mock

Rare, literary or technical

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

spoof take-off skit lampoon pastiche take off

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun informal

A comic imitation of a person, programme or style that exaggerates its most recognisable features in order to make fun of it.

“The sketch was a gentle send-up of daytime property shows.”

spoof parody take-off skit lampoon pastiche

2. verb informal

As the phrasal verb send up: to make fun of somebody or something by imitating them comically.

“They send up the whole wellness industry in the opening number.”

parody spoof mock take off lampoon

How to use send-up

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a gentle send-up an affectionate send-up send up the genre a send-up of

Informal and chiefly British. The tone is usually affectionate — a send-up teases rather than wounds.

Etymology

A noun formed from the phrasal verb send up, in the sense 'to hold up to ridicule'.

Full origin of send-up →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a send-up and a parody?

They overlap almost completely, but send-up is informal, British and usually warmer in tone, while parody is the neutral technical term and can be scholarly or hostile. A send-up teases; a parody merely imitates.

Does send-up mean the same thing in American English?

The comic sense is understood everywhere, but Americans are more likely to say spoof or take-off. In the United States, to send someone up can also mean to send them to prison, as in 'sent up for ten years'.

People also searched

mock parody skit take off lampoon pastiche spoof

Nearby words

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