farce

/fɑrs/

/fɑs/

Other forms: farces; farced; farcing

A farce is a broad satire or comedy, though now it's used to describe something that is supposed to be serious but has turned ridiculous. If a defendant is not treated fairly, his lawyer might say that the trial is a farce.

As a type of comedy, a farce uses improbable situations, physical humor and silliness to entertain. Spoof films such as "Spaceballs," a comedy based on the Star Wars movies, are farces. If a real-life event or situation is a farce, it feels this ridiculous. An election is a farce, if the outcome has been determined before the voting begins. And class can feel like a farce if your substitute teacher knows less about the subject than you do.

Definitions of farce

1. noun

   a comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable situations
   synonyms: farce comedy, travesty

   type of:

   comedy

   light and humorous drama with a happy ending
2. noun

   an event or situation that is absurd, empty, or insincere
   type of:

   event

   something that happens at a given place and time
3. verb

   fill with a stuffing while cooking
   synonyms: stuff

   stuff

   fill tightly with a material

   type of:

   fill, fill up, make full

   make full, also in a metaphorical sense
4. noun

   mixture of ground raw chicken and mushrooms with pistachios and truffles and onions and parsley and lots of butter and bound with eggs
   synonyms: forcemeat

   type of:

   dressing, stuffing

   a mixture of seasoned ingredients used to stuff meats and vegetables