lampoon

play

noun lam·poon \lam-ˈpün\

Definition of lampoon

: satire 1; specifically : a harsh satire usually directed against an individual He said such ridiculous things that he was often the target of lampoons in the press.

See lampoon defined for English-language learners

See lampoon defined for kids

lampoon was our Word of the Day on 02/22/2015. Hear the podcast!

Examples of lampoon in a Sentence

He said such ridiculous things that he was often the target of lampoons in the press.
this classic musical is a lampoon of the movie business at the time when sound was introduced

Recent Examples of lampoon from the Web

Her sitcom lampoons snooty New Yorkers whose parenting skills are not enhanced by their wealth.

— Washington Post, "Sitcom ‘Odd Mom Out’ back for season 3; NY’s rich, watch out," 11 July 2017
Big business means big laughs in this delightfully clever lampoon of life on the corporate ladder.

— geauga lyric theater guild, cleveland.com, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Geauga Theater," 28 June 2017
Aside from his stand-up, Pera most recently worked on TruthHunters.com, a pilot Pera filmed with fellow comedian and friend Connor O’Malley that lampoons President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters.

— nick vadala, Philly.com, "Comedian Joe Pera brings his grandfatherly stylings to Philadelphia this weekend," 16 June 2017
RIO DE JANEIRO — Cartoonish depictions of Brazil’s president are so popular that his office is trying to restrict access to his pictures — so they don’t get turned into lampoons on social media.

— simon romero, New York Times, "Their Government in Chaos, Brazilians Fear the Joke Is on Them," 26 May 2017
One of Laikin’s miscalculations was his failure to grasp that Matty Simmons was in fact unpopular among many Lampoon alumni.

— benjamin wallace, VanityFair.com, "Can Anyone Repair National Lampoon’s Devastated Brand?," 19 May 2017
One of Laikin’s miscalculations was his failure to grasp that Matty Simmons was in fact unpopular among many Lampoon alumni.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Can Anyone Repair National Lampoon’s Devastated Brand?," 1 May 2017
Julia Wachtel provides a lively lampoon of Salle: a diptych of two African tribal sculptures teamed with a nebbishy creature, likely copied from a joke greeting card, who sheds a tear while hoisting an immense daisy.

— peter schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "The Joy of Eighties Art," 6 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lampoon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of lampoon

French lampon

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1645

See Words from the same year

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

lampoon

verb lam·poon

Definition of lampoon

transitive verb
: to make the subject of a lampoon : ridicule

lampooner

noun

lampoonery

play \lam-ˈpü-nə-rē, -ˈpün-rē\ noun

See lampoon defined for English-language learners

Examples of lampoon in a Sentence

The politician was lampooned in cartoons.

Recent Examples of lampoon from the Web

Last month, leaked footage of a closed-door speech by Turnbull showed him lampooning Trump.

— matthew brockett, Bloomberg.com, "Australia's Bishop Unimpressed by Trump's `Good Shape' Remark," 16 July 2017
He and a staff columnist were sued by a disgruntled military officer who took exception to a satirical piece lampooning the army.

— colin hinshelwood, Time, "The Arrest of Three Journalists Shows a Disturbing Lack of Press Freedom in Democratic Myanmar," 6 July 2017
Kentucky constable has remained an obscure, sometimes lampooned position.

— scott wartman, Cincinnati.com, "NKY Notebook: Lawmaker renews effort to get rid of constables," 6 July 2017
Spicer's short tenure as press secretary has been marked by the sort of short, combative exchanges with reporters that have become lampooned on Saturday Night Live and made him a household name.

— gregory korte, USA TODAY, "When seasoned Washington reporters ask hard questions, Sean Spicer turns to Skype," 5 July 2017
Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons and The Tonight Show have lampooned the show.

— TIME.com, "Game of Thrones: How They Make the World’s Most Popular Show," 30 June 2017
Her strongest asset is her sense of humor, lampooning both society’s resistance to change as well as her own.

— dayna evans, The Cut, "Marika Hackman Wrote the Song L Word Fans Have Been Waiting For," 20 June 2017
And Trump was lampooned for talking about a terrorist attack in Sweden that never actually happened.

— cleve r. wootson jr., Washington Post, "Is bragging about the Panama Canal Trump’s latest gaffe? The Internet thinks so.," 19 June 2017
Others lampooned the entertainment, with many drawing comparisons to the Titanic band's final performance as the ocean liner sank in 1912.

— jennifer hansler, CNN, "Watch a jazz band play before Trump exits the climate deal," 1 June 2017

Did You Know?

Lampoon can be a noun or a verb. The noun lampoon (meaning "satire" or, specifically, "a harsh satire usually directed against an individual") was first used in English in 1645. The verb followed about a decade later. The words come from the French lampon, which probably originated from lampons, the first person plural imperative of lamper ("to guzzle"). Lampons! (meaning "Let us guzzle!") is a frequent refrain in 17th-century French satirical poems.