cartoonish

British  

/ ˌkɑːˈtuːnɪʃ /

adjective

1. like a cartoon, esp in being one-dimensional, brightly coloured, or exaggerated

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Explanation

Something cartoonish is exaggerated and overly simplified, like your cartoonish drawing of a cat or a cartoonish movie villain. This adjective can mean "like a cartoon," as in the simple, unrealistic illustrations in a kid's book. It also describes things that are over-the-top and a bit silly: "Their cartoonish makeup looked fine onstage, but it's too much up close!" If the bad guy in a film grins evilly and twirls his mustache, most viewers will find him a little cartoonish. The word comes from cartoon, originally "a drawing on strong paper," from a root meaning "heavy paper."

Example Sentences

Other than one queasy homage to “Deliverance,” the film’s handling of the showdown between this drab married couple and the cartoonish criminals is rarely gripping.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

What makes the character indelible is the ghoulish heavy makeup, a bright red wig with tiny bangs, and oversized tinted sunglasses -- a cartoonish look that has gone viral.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

The cartoonish picture of America found in its pages constitutes educational malpractice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

The phrase is cartoonish, but the ideology is deadly serious.

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2026

It felt almost cartoonish, like someone throwing a tiny snowball at a mountain and causing an avalanche.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi