subversive

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But Hamburger's shtick is really just a vehicle for his subversive, awkwardly delivered jabs at obvious celebrity tar gets, jokes that would be funny regardless of how they were presented.

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Definitions (6)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. adjective Intended or serving to subvert, especially intended to overthrow or undermine an established government: "Sex and creativity are often seen by dictators as subversive activities” (Erica Jong).
  2. noun One who advocates or is regarded as advocating subversion.

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Examples (50)

  • You are a subversive, a traitor waiting in the wings, I have read your cheering before for the failure of the U.S. you sir should be rounded up and expatriated back to Brazil where you can bloviate the ills of the Western world till your spleen is spent. —  Home
  • Because they called us on the phone afterwards to tell us that we were engaging in subversive, terroristic activity. —  The World Can't Wait!
  • The Chinese government blocks access to many Web sites it considers subversive or too political, and Internet companies regularly self-censor to keep from running afoul of the authorities. —  - Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community
  • No bands were combining these particular influences in this particular way, which made this debut sound not only new but even subversive: a sharp reimagining of rock tropes. —  Murmurs.com
  • Ironically, though the "Great Firewall" continues to lock out the biggest Internet companies and non-profits, it is substantially less effective at blocking smaller actors who utilize the Internet as a subversive tool.
 

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Etymologies (1)

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. = French subversif = Spanish subversivo, suversivo = Portuguese subversivo; as subverse + -ive.
 

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/səbˈvərsɪv/
by American Heritage

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