caricature

[ kar-i-kuh-cher, -choor ]

noun

1. a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things:

   His caricature of the mayor in this morning's paper is the best he's ever drawn.

   Synonyms: cartoon

2. the art or process of producing such pictures, descriptions, etc.
3. any imitation or copy so distorted or inferior as to be ludicrous.

   Synonyms: travesty

verb (used with object)

, car·i·ca·tured, car·i·ca·tur·ing.

1. to make a caricature of; represent in caricature.

caricature

/ ˈkærɪkəˌtjʊə /

noun

1. a pictorial, written, or acted representation of a person, which exaggerates his characteristic traits for comic effect
2. a ludicrously inadequate or inaccurate imitation

   he is a caricature of a statesman

verb

1. tr to represent in caricature or produce a caricature of

caricature

1. In art or literature, portrayal of an individual or thing that exaggerates and distorts prominent characteristics so as to make them appear ridiculous. Caricature is commonly a medium for satire .

Derived Forms

• ˈcaricaˌturist, noun
• ˈcaricaˌtural, adjective

Other Words From

• cari·ca·tur·a·ble adjective
• cari·ca·tural adjective
• cari·ca·tur·ist noun
• self-cari·ca·ture noun
• semi·cari·ca·tural adjective
• un·cari·ca·tured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of caricature¹

1740–50; earlier caricatura < Italian, equivalent to caricat(o) loaded, i.e., distorted (past participle of caricare; charge ) + -ura -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of caricature¹

C18: from Italian caricatura a distortion, exaggeration, from caricare to load, exaggerate; see cargo

Synonym Study

See burlesque.

Example Sentences

This is not intended to be an art book by any means, yet only one image shows his caricatures.

From Washington Post

You’re literally a caricature of an old man losing his hearing.

From Outside Online

Hulu extended the story line of Margaret Atwood’s antifeminist dystopia The Handmaid’s Tale by remaking its enslaved heroine as a quippy caricature.

From Time

It’s a series that created the “Friendship” and “Babality” finishing moves, cheeky features that ensure the games never take themselves too seriously, and a reminder that these fighters are all cartoon caricatures.

From Washington Post

Good conflict can be stressful and heated, but it doesn’t collapse into caricature.

From Time

Finally, America will have to accept Bill Cosby as a many-sided man, rather than a much-loved pop-culture caricature.

From The Daily Beast

She died before they started shooting season two, and an unflattering caricature was included immediately.

From The Daily Beast

Yet Dr. Phil allowed Kelli Stapleton to turn her daughter into an ugly caricature on his show.

From The Daily Beast

I enjoyed her as purely a villain, even if she was somewhat of caricature.

From The Daily Beast

The Alliance for a Strong America site is like a caricature of what liberals said about Keep America Safe.

From The Daily Beast

Nor did Ethel know that that caricature had been the cause of the black eye that Harry had brought home last summer.

From Project Gutenberg

His look of consternation was exaggerated into a most comical caricature, in order to hide how much of it was real.

From Project Gutenberg

A caricature grotesque and impish, and yet one that no human being could mistake—a caricature by the hand of a master!

From Project Gutenberg

The uncle was always horrible; he was one of the very ugliest of Spaniards; he was a brutal caricature of the national type.

From Project Gutenberg

I have made it a caricature of a superhuman ass I know—Tomlinson—who thinks he can decorate.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cartoon
• farce
• parody
• satire