caricature

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

See synonyms for: caricature caricatured caricatures caricaturing on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.
the art or process of producing such pictures, descriptions, etc.

any imitation or copy so distorted or inferior as to be ludicrous.

verb (used with object),car·i·ca·tured, car·i·ca·tur·ing.

to make a caricature of; represent in caricature.

Origin of caricature

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

synonym study For caricature

1. See burlesque.

Other words for caricature

1	cartoon
3	travesty

See synonyms for caricature on Thesaurus.com

Other words from caricature

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

Words that may be confused with caricature

burlesque, caricature , cartoon, parody, satire (see synonym study at burlesque)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use caricature in a sentence

What they are left with are the lies and caricatures that they used in the face of an issue as important as racial justice.
The Trailer: The House Democrats’ campaign chief thinks his party can defy history | David Weigel | February 18, 2021 | Washington Post
Puck artists, like their predecessors, combined picture-making skills with a caricatural precision and a knack for lethal symbols.
The Magazine That Made—and Unmade—Politicians | Anthony Haden-Guest | November 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for caricature

caricature

/ (ˈkærɪkəˌtjʊə) /

noun

a pictorial, written, or acted representation of a person, which exaggerates his characteristic traits for comic effect
a ludicrously inadequate or inaccurate imitation: he is a caricature of a statesman

verb

(tr) to represent in caricature or produce a caricature of

Origin of caricature

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

Derived forms of caricature

caricatural, adjective
caricaturist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for caricature

caricature

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.

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