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.

---

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

---

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

The original may have been R-rated and extraordinarily violent, but it also has its own action figure line.

From Salon ● Nov. 12, 2025

The Chargers set the bar among a throwback action figure commercial, a Mario Kart parody and an ad for a prescription drug.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025

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

Shoto’s robot looked like an action figure next to Sorrento’s massive metal dragon.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---