vaudeville means A style of multi-act theatrical entertainment which originated from France and flourished in Europe and North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. It carries an Arena rating of 1599, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, vaudeville ranks #815 of 17,114 for Most Satisfying to Say, #2,085 of 17,130 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,789 of 17,116 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #6,016 of 17,122 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound.
vaudeville is pronounced /ˈvɔ.d(ə).vɪl/.
Why “vaudeville” is a great word
A type of theatrical variety entertainment, popular from the late 19th to early 20th century, featuring a succession of unrelated acts such as comedy, song, dance, and magic, descending from French *vaudeville* (16th century), an alteration (influenced by *ville*, "town") of Middle French *vaudevire*, a satirical song, from Vau de Vire, the valley of the Vire river in Normandy, known for such songs. Unlike "burlesque," which denotes a specific comedic, often risqué, parody of a serious subject, or "revue," which implies a variety show with a unifying theme or sophisticated topical satire, vaudeville was a broader, more democratic parade of discrete and thematically disconnected turns. It is the scent of greasepaint and sawdust, the frantic shuffle of a juggler making way for a tragedian, the brassy fanfare of a unicycle act followed by a mournful ballad—a fleeting, glorious chaos of human talent assembled before the centrifugal force of modernity scattered it all to the winds.
noun
- A style of multi-act theatrical entertainment which originated from France and flourished in Europe and North America from the 1880s through the 1920s.e.g.“Mr. Sterling was born in Baltimore on June 24, 1915, to Jack Sexton and Edna Cable, veteran performers in vaudeville, showboats and stock companies.”
- An entertainment in this style.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- vaudevillian 71% match — Someone who performs in vaudeville. vs vaudeville →
- cabaret 55% match — Live entertainment held in a restaurant or nightclub; the genre of music associated with this form of entertainment, especially in early 20th century Europe. vs vaudeville →
- bouffon 52% match — A style of performance focused on mockery, associated with French theater. vs vaudeville →
- follies 51% match — A lavishly-produced theatrical revue characterized by major stars, huge casts, and opulent costumes and scenery. vs vaudeville →
- extravaganza 49% match — An extravagant or eccentric piece of music, literature, or drama, originally associated with Victorian England. vs vaudeville →
- masque 49% match — A dramatic performance, often performed at court as a royal entertainment, consisting of dancing, dialogue, pantomime and song. vs vaudeville →
- burletta 49% match — A comic operetta; a musical farce. vs vaudeville →
- burlesquery 48% match — That which is burlesque; a parody. vs vaudeville →