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satirist

/ˈsætərəst/
IPA guide

Other forms: satirists

A satirist is a writer or artist who uses biting humor and exaggerated language to make fun of someone. Political satirists often target candidates with cartoons that highlight their flaws.

A skilled satirist can use something that seems silly or ridiculous at first glance to make a serious point. The work a satirist does, called satire, is all about using humor to show that public figures are weak or corrupt — and also to expose bigger societal issues. Today, a satirist might focus on a politician's refusal to acknowledge the reality of climate change, exposing both their dishonesty and the significance of the issue.

Definitions of satirist
  1. noun
    a humorist who uses ridicule and irony and sarcasm
    synonyms: ironist, ridiculer
    see moresee less
    examples:
    Decimus Junius Juvenalis
    Roman satirist who denounced the vice and folly of Roman society during the reign of the emperor Domitian (60-140)
    Francois Rabelais
    author of satirical attacks on medieval scholasticism (1494-1553)
    Jonathan Swift
    an English satirist born in Ireland (1667-1745)
    type of:
    farceur, humorist, humourist
    someone who acts, speaks, or writes in an amusing way
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