Well-read · Often misused · Law & order
Travesty: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Travesty noun. A shockingly bad or absurd imitation of something.
How to say it
TRAV-uh-stee/ˈtravɪsti/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (TRAV).
Travesty in a sentence
The trial was a travesty of justice: the verdict was decided before it began.
The film is a travesty of the novel, with the ending changed and the heroine cut.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- mockery
- parody
- sham
- caricature
Careful
A travesty is a grotesque distortion of something, especially justice. It's often used for any disaster or sad event ('the defeat was a travesty'), which loses the idea of mockery.
Where travesty comes from
From French travesti, disguised, from Italian travestire, to dress up.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The film is a _____ of the novel, with the ending changed and the heroine cut.
- travesty
- epicentre
- cohort
Show the answer
travesty: The film is a travesty of the novel, with the ending changed and the heroine cut.