noun
spoof
spoof
noun
1
A humorous imitation that pokes fun at something, especially a film, show, or genre.
"The movie is a spoof of classic 1980s action films."
"They put together a spoof of the news for the school talent show."
2
An act of deceiving someone, or a fake message or identity used to trick a person or system.
"The email was a spoof designed to look like it came from the bank."
verb
1
To make a lighthearted, mocking imitation of something.
"The sketch show loves to spoof popular reality TV."
2
To fake or disguise something, such as a sender's identity, in order to deceive.
"Scammers spoofed the caller ID to make it look like a local number."
How to Use Spoof
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA comedic parody, or — in tech contexts — a fake designed to trick someone.
Common mistake
In cybersecurity, "spoof" specifically means faking an identity (like an email address or phone number) to deceive, not just making a joke version of something.
Common pairings
spoof movie
spoof email
spoof someone's number
Word Forms
spoofed past tense, spoofed past tense, spoofs plural, spoofs singular, spoofs singular
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The movie is a _____ of classic 1980s action films.
Etymology
Coined by English comedian Arthur Roberts in 1884 as the name for a card game built around trickery and nonsense.