farce

UK: /ˈfɑː^rs/ US: /fɑrs/ ,(färs)

Inflections of 'farce' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

farces

v 3rd person singular

farcing

v pres p

farced

v past

farced

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

farce /fɑrs/   n. [countable]

1. Literature a comedy based on unlikely situations and exaggerated effects:
   the latest farce on Broadway.
2. a foolish, false, or meaningless show;
   ridiculous sham;
   mockery:
   dishonest politicians who make a farce of good government.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

farce  (färs), n., v., farced, farc•ing. 
n. 

1. a light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character.
2. humor of the type displayed in such works.
3. foolish show;
   mockery;
   a ridiculous sham.
4. Food [Cookery.] forcemeat.

v.t. 

5. to season (a speech or composition), esp. with witty material.
6. [Obs.] to stuff;
   cram.

• Latin farcīre
• Old French farcir
• Vulgar Latin *farsa, noun, nominal use of feminine of Latin farsus, earlier fartus stuffed, past participle of farcīre to stuff; (verb, verbal) Middle English farsen
• Middle French farce
• (noun, nominal) Middle English fars stuffing 1300–50

Synonyms

• 3. burlesque, travesty.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

farce / fɑːs/ noun

1. a broadly humorous play based on the exploitation of improbable situations
2. the genre of comedy represented by works of this kind
3. a ludicrous situation or action
4. Also: farcemeat
   another name for forcemeat

Etymology: 14th Century (in the sense: stuffing): from Old French, from Latin farcīre to stuff, interpolate passages (in the mass, in religious plays, etc)