A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.
What is a paradox
100
As an adjective, "prohibited or restricted by social custom" - as a noun, a topic that is not discussed in polite company
What is taboo
100
The use of verbal irony to mock or convey contempt.
What is sarcasm
100
The presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.
What is understatement
100
The fact of two unlike things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
What is juxtaposition
200
The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
What is irony
200
A false, absurd, or distorted representation of something worthy of serious attention or consideration.
What is a travesty
200
The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
What is satire
200
The action of expressing or stating something too strongly; exaggeration.
What is overstatement
200
When an event occurs in a literary work that deliberately violates the expectations the audience was guided to have formed.
What is surprise
300
A display of mental sharpness and inventiveness; keen intelligence.
What is wit
300
A word or phrase open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risqué or indecent.
What is a double entendre
300
Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.
What is an invective
300
An imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.
What is parody
300
The sorting out or unraveling of a plot at the end of a play, novel, or story, particularly when it turns in an unexpected direction
What is reversal
400
A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings
What is a pun
400
An absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work.
What is burlesque
400
To make or give a comically or grotesquely exaggerated representation of (someone or something); a visual or otherwise written representation thereof.
What is caricature
400
A form of comedy based on deliberately clumsy actions and humorously embarrassing events.
What is slapstick
400
The state of being "out of keeping" or otherwise inappropriate to the subject, tone, or form of the work
What is incongruity
500
The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect, as in, for example, “dance a flamingo ” (instead of flamenco )
What is a malapropism
500
A style of delivery in which the tone is deliberately impassive or expressionless for a humorous effect; requires a sophisticated understanding of tone to appreciate and detect
What is deadpan
500
An inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest; skepticism.
What is cynicism
500
A comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.
What is a farce
500
The quality or state of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable.