Which term means a humorous imitation or distortion of a subject?

• A. Paradox
• B. Parody
• C. Symbolism
• D. Idiom

Answer: (B)

A humorous imitation or distortion of a subject is called parody. Parody imitates the style, format, or recognizable traits of the original, but exaggerates them to create comedy or critique. It works because the audience recognizes the source and understands the exaggeration, making the humor or commentary effective. For example, a playful spoof of a famous movie scene mimics its tropes and characters but amplifies quirks for laughs. In contrast, a paradox is a self-contradictory statement that reveals truth, symbolism uses objects to represent ideas, and an idiom is a phrase whose meaning isn’t obvious from the words. That’s why parody best fits the description.