effigy

noun

ef·​fi·​gy ˈe-fə-jē 

plural effigies

: an image or representation especially of a person

especially : a crude figure representing a hated person

see also:

in effigy

Did you know?

An earlier sense of effigy is "a likeness of a person shaped out of stone or other materials," so it's not surprising to learn that effigy derives, by way of Middle French, from the Latin effigies, which, in turn, comes from the verb effingere ("to form"), a combination of the prefix ­ex- and fingere, which means "to shape." Fingere is the common ancestor of a number of other English nouns that name things you can shape. A fiction is a story you shape with your imagination. Figments are shaped by the imagination, too; they're something you imagine or make up. A figure can be a numeral, a shape, or a picture that you shape as you draw or write.

Examples of effigy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

He was subjected to booing in the stands at games, had effigies of him burned, and even received death threats. — Miami Herald, 14 July 2026

In a scene where the suffragists burn an effigy of President Wilson, Natalio amplifies the turbulent tone with intense movement from the ensemble. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026

Last year, the same Moygashel pyre burned an effigy of migrants in a boat. — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

Now, a group of tech and faith leaders, erected an inflatable effigy of a shirtless Musk in Times Square seeking to draw attention to the company’s poor AI safety track record. — Jordan Novet,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 13 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French effigie, borrowed from Latin effigiēs "representation, copy, specter," from effig-, variant stem of effingere "to shape, portray, copy" (from ef-, variant before f of ex- ex- entry 1 + fingere "to mold, fashion, make a likeness of") + -iēs, deverbal noun suffix — more at feign

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing effigy

• hang/burn in effigy
• in effigy

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Kids Definition

effigy

noun

ef·​fi·​gy ˈef-ə-jē 

plural effigies

: a likeness especially of a person

especially : a crude figure meant to represent a hated person

hanged their cruel ruler in effigy