WordGarden.iotravesty
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /trˈævəstˌi/
US
- /ˈtrævəsti/
Meanings
Noun
an absurdly bad or distorted imitation of something serious
a mocking parody or burlesque treatment of a work, style, or subject
Beyond the definition
A travesty is not just something bad or disappointing. It is something that badly twists, ruins, or makes a mockery of something that should be treated with respect. If a court is unfair and corrupt, people may call it a travesty of justice. If a famous book is turned into a careless, ridiculous film, that too might be called a travesty.
The word is often used for things that matter, such as justice, truth, art, or public duty. It carries a strong feeling that something has gone deeply wrong, not just a little off course.
A travesty is a shocking or shameful distortion of something serious, important, or worthy of respect. It is more than just a poor copy or a bad mistake. The word suggests that something has been twisted so badly that it becomes an insult to the original. Imagine a solemn religious ceremony turned into a chaotic clown show; that would be a travesty.
The word carries a strong sense of outrage and disappointment. It suggests that something has been deeply corrupted or dragged far below the standard it should meet. A "travesty of justice" means the legal system has failed to produce a fair result. A retelling of a real historical event may be called a travesty if it twists the facts in a way that is deeply unfair or insulting.
Historically, "travesty" referred to a type of burlesque play where characters were deliberately mismatched or exaggerated for comedic effect. While that specific literary meaning still exists, the word has broadened to encompass any situation where something is treated with shocking disrespect or turned into its opposite.
So, if you see something truly awful happening to something worthy of respect—a complete and utter failure to uphold standards—you're likely witnessing a travesty. It's not just bad; it's wrong.
Examples
- 1
Legal injustice
Many people said the light sentence was a travesty of justice.
- Phrasea travesty of justice
something extremely unfair in a legal case
- 2
Film remake
Critics called the remake a travesty of the original film.
- 3
Media tone
The interview was meant to be serious, but the host turned it into a travesty.
- 4
Trial process
After all the mistakes in the investigation, the whole trial looked like a travesty.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
- faithful representation
Used with (collocations)
- a travesty of justice
- a travesty of democracy
- nothing short of a travesty
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- travestynounverb
Forms
- travestiespluralnounverb
- travestiedpast tenseverbnoun
- travestying-ing formverbnoun