Lampoon Meaning
/læmˈpuːn/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verb/nounTo publicly criticize someone or something using ridicule or satire.
nounA written attack or other work ridiculing a person, group, or institution; especially, a satirical one.
Sentence Examples
The satirical magazine used its cover to lampoon celebrity culture.
She loves to lampoon celebrities in her sketches.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The comedian will ____ the politician's foolish speech with a funny skit.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The comedian would often ____ politicians in his act.
Word Origin & History
From French lampon (“satire, mockery, ridicule”), built on French lampons (“let us drink — a popular refrain for scurrilous songs”), from lamper (“to quaff, to swig”). : Littré quotes a satirical song mocking King Jacques II Stuart, fleeing Dublin, in 1691, and returning to France under the escort of Lauzun: :: Prenez soin de ma couronne, J'aurai soin de ma personne ; ("Take care of my crown, I will take care of my person") Lampons ! lampons !
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"To say truth, Ma'am, 'tis very vulgar to Print and as my little Productions are mostly Satires and Lampoons I find they circulate more by giving copies in confidence to the Friends of the Parties—"
— 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, I.i:
""Dangerous things, sir—dangerous things!" exclaimed Mr. Lintot, drawing a deep breath of air from the open window: "do you know, sir, Curl published a lampoon on Lord Hervey the other day, who said that he would have horsewhipped him if he could have found his way into the city..."
— 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Alteration”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 22:
"The original phrase was frequently lampooned in subsequent years, becoming strong enough in popular culture that the variations in place of ‘drugs’ probably didn’t take long to appear at all."
— 2009 June 24, “this is your brain on X”, in The Snowclones Database:
"Her tone shift involved former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton lampooning their fellow ex-president as a figure of ridicule. Then Harris closed the trap with a line in her convention speech: “Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences … of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.”"
— 2024 August 26, Stephen Collinson, “Trump’s personal attacks aren’t just who he is. They’re his strategy”, in CNN:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The comedian will ____ the politician's foolish speech with a funny skit.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The comedian would often ____ politicians in his act.