cardboard

American  

[kahrd-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈkɑrdˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

1. a thin, stiff pasteboard, used for signs, boxes, etc.

---

adjective

1. resembling cardboard, especially in flimsiness.

   an apartment with cardboard walls.

2. not fully lifelike; shallow; two-dimensional.

   a play with cardboard characters.

cardboard British  

/ ˈkɑːdˌbɔːd /

noun

1. 1. a thin stiff board made from paper pulp and used esp for making cartons

   2. ( as modifier )

      cardboard boxes

---

adjective

1. (prenominal) without substance

   a cardboard smile

   a cardboard general

Etymology

Origin of cardboard

First recorded in 1840–50; card ¹ + board

Explanation

The heavy, rigid paper that's used to make the boxes you use for mailing things is called cardboard. Cardboard also comes in handy for crafts and projects in classrooms. A lot of cardboard is made from several layers of thick paper, so that it's stiff and strong, and protects items inside cardboard boxes. You can also use the word cardboard to describe a fictional character who doesn't seem real: "The mother in the movie was such a cardboard character." In the 18th century, cardboard was known as card paper.

Example Sentences

It is cold little chaos, packaged in cardboard and frost.

From Salon • Jul. 11, 2026

The mattress was as stiff as cardboard and he was worried about his mom.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

When he returned to America in 1789 he was no longer a cardboard architect but a spatial thinker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

The first stop on the conveyor belts takes the materials over a series of rolling coils called an auger screen that sift out the cardboard and push it to a separate conveyor belt.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

Anastasia pried open the lid of a large cardboard box.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• badge
• calendar
• check
• label
• poster
• program
• sheet
• ticket