action figure

American  

noun

action figures plural

1. a toy figure with jointed, movable limbs, representing a character in a cartoon, movie, etc., or a real person or animal, often one known for exciting action or extraordinary powers.

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action figure British  

noun

1. a small figure of a character from a film, television programme, comic book etc, designed as a toy and often collected by enthusiasts

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• action figures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of action figure

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

action figure

His predictions sound like something from the 1996 comedy “Jingle All the Way,” in which Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a dad desperately trying to find a sought-after action figure for his son after stores sell out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 7, 2025

A smattering of Ace Ventura and a lot of those ’80s action figure guys.

From New York Times ● May 8, 2024

Fail to buy the latest cuddly toy or collectable action figure and there will be tears and tantrums - and that's just the grown-ups.

From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2024

Walter Emanuel Jones, who played the original Black Ranger Zack Taylor, said he was recognized as the character a week before the show premiered when a child, who had purchased his action figure, recognized him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2023

She scanned her brother’s room: books, old art projects, a few binders of ordinary baseball cards, and his action figure of Hermey the elf.

From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead