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

But he's concerned action figure commissions could soon dry up, as well as the public perception of his work, from thousands of AI images mimicking his passion.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2025

“An actor is what he looks like,” Sylvester Stallone told The New York Times in 1976, and more than most stars, Stallone has been viewed as an action figure come to life.

From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2023

Under the alter ego, she shrinks to action figure size and makes funny videos.

From Salon ● Sep. 29, 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