Humor comes in many flavors. Some is warm and clever, some is dry and quiet, and some has teeth. Writers choose their humor words carefully, because the word tells you how the joke lands: a witty remark delights, a sarcastic one stings.
Key idea
Gentle and clever: witty, wry, droll, levity. Out of place: facetious (joking when you should be serious). Sharp: sarcastic, sardonic. Kinds of mockery: a satire exposes foolishness, a parody imitates and exaggerates, and to lampoon is to make fun of someone in public.
When you meet one of these words in a passage, ask: Is the humor kind or cutting? Is it suited to the moment? Is it aimed at someone?
The ten words
Common mistake
sarcastic and sardonic both mock: sarcasm says the opposite of what it means, while sardonic humor is grim. A parody imitates something; a satire need not.
| word | what the humor does | how it feels |
|---|---|---|
| witty | clever, quick wordplay | delightful |
| wry | dry, with a twist of irony | knowing |
| droll | odd and deadpan | quietly funny |
| facetious | jokes when it should be serious | out of place |
| sarcastic | says the opposite of what it means | stinging |
| sardonic | mocks with a grim, scornful smile | bitter |
A parody always copies something: a song, a movie, a style. A satire may or may not copy anything; its aim is to show that some behavior is foolish. Many satires use parody as a tool. To lampoon is the action: to mock someone in public, often through satire or parody.