noun
travesty
TRAV-ihs-tee
noun
1
A shocking, absurd distortion of something that should be fair or serious — a mockery of what it claims to represent.
"Critics called the trial a travesty of justice."
"The rushed report was a travesty of proper research."
verb
1
To turn something into a ridiculous or grotesque imitation of itself; to mock by distorting.
"The satirical play travestied the government's handling of the crisis."
How to Use Travesty
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA travesty is something so badly done or so unfair that it makes a mockery of how things should be — most often heard in the phrase "a travesty of justice."
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "tragedy" — a travesty is about something being made ridiculous or unjust, not simply sad.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
a travesty of justice
a complete travesty
travesty of a trial
Word Forms
travestied past tense, travesties plural, travesties singular
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Critics called the trial a _____ of justice.
Etymology
From French travesti, "disguised" — from Italian travestire, "to dress up" (tra-, "across" + vestire, "to dress"). The same root gives us "vest" and "wear."