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Literature vocabulary · Genres and Forms

Satire

Meaning in literature, with examples

/ˈsætaɪə/nounCommon term

In literature, satire means: Writing that uses humor, irony and exaggeration to criticize or mock the foolishness or wrongdoing of people, institutions or society.

In Turkish: hiciv, yergi, taşlama

How it is used

Both a genre and a mode that can appear in any form. Swift's Gulliver's Travels and Orwell's Animal Farm are classic satires; in Turkish, Aziz Nesin's stories and Nef'i's hiciv poems are well known. Critics speak of biting, sharp, gentle or political satire. Adjective: satirical.

Example sentences

  1. The novel is a sharp satire of office life and corporate language.

  2. Some readers take the satire literally and miss the joke completely.

Common collocations

  • political satire
  • biting satire
  • social satire
  • a satire on
  • satirical novel
  • ironyA contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between what is expected and what actually happens, often used for humor or criticism.
  • hyperboleA figure of speech that uses deliberate, obvious exaggeration for emphasis or humor, as in 'I've told you a million times'.
  • comedyA play or story meant to amuse, usually built on misunderstandings and humor and ending happily, often with reunions or marriages.
  • allegoryA story, poem or picture in which characters and events stand for abstract ideas or real situations, so that it has a second, hidden meaning, often moral or political.

More terms: Genres and Forms

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