lampoon

1 of 2

noun

lam·​poon lam-ˈpün How to pronounce lampoon (audio)
: satire sense 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.

lampoon

2 of 2

verb

lampooned; lampooning; lampoons

transitive verb

: to make the subject of a lampoon : ridicule
lampooner noun
lampoonery
lam-ˈpü-nə-rē How to pronounce lampoon (audio)
-ˈpün-rē
noun

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 the 17th century and may be familiar from the names of humor publications such as The Harvard Lampoon and its now-defunct spinoff National Lampoon. Both the noun and the verb come from the French word lampon, which likely originated from lampons, a form of the verb lamper, meaning "to drink to the bottom." So what is the connection? Lampons! (meaning "Let us guzzle!"—that is, drink greedily) was a frequent refrain in 17th-century French satirical poems.

Examples of lampoon in a Sentence

Noun 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 Verb The politician was lampooned in cartoons.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Saturday Night Live kicked off with Bowen Yang reprising his role as George Santos in what could be one of the last instances of the former congressman being the subject of such a high-profile lampoon given his expulsion from the House of Representatives Friday. William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 3 Dec. 2023 The solipsism of artists and influencers offers infinite variations on self-lacerating lampoon, and Sebastian Silva’s new film Rotting in the Sun comes up with a dandy. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2023 The clip in question was from an episode of Deep Fake Neighbour Wars, an eccentric mockumentary-style show that broadcasts on ITV in the UK and lampoons celebrity culture. Jason Parham, WIRED, 21 July 2023 In passing, Binet lampoons Christopher Columbus, Martin Luther, and Thomas More and has great fun transporting the Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes and the artist El Greco to an idyllic island in the Caribbean. Sam Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021 Idle, in a dead heat with the other original Pythons as the funniest Python, wrote a book for the musical that nostalgically re-creates some of the movie’s best episodes and adds a cheeky, meta-theatrical lampoon of Broadway conventions. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 15 May 2023 People who, even now, keep faith in the Academy Awards, and in their power to sprinkle blessings upon a noble vocation, are pained not by controversy, grandstanding, political interference, ardent arguments over diversity, or fond lampoons. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2023 Lemercier’s known for her work as a comedian in her native France and not really known in the U.S. at all, and while watching Aline creates an ear-popping sense of cultural disconnect, the film doesn’t seem intended to be received as a lampoon. Vulture, 8 Apr. 2022
Verb
Her account of that night was scrutinized by armchair sleuths, and she was relentlessly lampooned by entertainers and consumers. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024 Critics lampooned the president for the gaffe, and some called for the invocation of the 25th Amendment. Emma Colton, Fox News, 13 Feb. 2024 Getting horizontal in a relentlessly vertical city was a simple gesture that punctured most of the collective delusions that made that city run, at once lampooning and rejecting the pose of an upright citizen. Will Heinrich, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2023 Doug Emhoff, the Jewish husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, was deservedly lampooned when he was forced to delete a social-media post that botched the story of Hanukkah. Philip Klein, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023 During an episode of her daytime talk show this week, Clarkson spoke to guest Bowen Yang about Swift and Travis Kelce’s surprise Saturday Night Live appearance and the sketch lampooning the NFL’s newfound obsession with the couple. Vulture, 22 Oct. 2023 The theatrical release was specifically timed since the film follows a group of college friends who reunite for Juneteenth weekend and are hunted by a killer who asks them to determine who is the Blackest among them — lampooning the common horror movie trope that sees the Black character die first. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 4 Oct. 2023 The spectacle of a Black woman lampooning the most powerful politician in America delivered a refreshing comic antidote to the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and looming election, drawing tens of millions of views and shout-outs from Bette Midler, Cher, Jerry Seinfeld and Ben Stiller. Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023 Even though the movie largely lampoons Barbie Land’s body standards, long-criticized as unrealistic, Butina’s position is echoed by a number of Russian officials, who maintain both the doll and the movie could have a negative influence on young girls. Radina Gigova, CNN, 1 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lampoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French lampon

First Known Use

Noun

1645, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1657, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lampoon was in 1645

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near lampoon

Cite this Entry

“Lampoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lampoon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lampoon

1 of 2 noun
lam·​poon lam-ˈpün How to pronounce lampoon (audio)
: a writing or drawing that makes fun of a person

lampoon

2 of 2 verb
: to make fun of by a lampoon : ridicule
lampooner noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lampoon

Last Updated: - Updated Did you know?
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!