caricature

noun

car·i·ca·ture | \ ˈker-i-kə-ˌchu̇r

, -ˌchər, -ˌtyu̇r, -ˌtu̇r, ˈka-ri- \

Definition of caricature

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : exaggeration by means of often ludicrous distortion of parts or characteristics drew a caricature of the president

2 : a representation especially in literature or art that has the qualities of caricature His performance in the film was a caricature of a hard-boiled detective.

3 : a distortion so gross as to seem like caricature The kangaroo court was a caricature of justice.

caricature

verb

caricatured; caricaturing

Definition of caricature (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to make or draw a caricature of : represent in caricature the portrait caricatured its subject The comedian caricatured the governor as a pompous know-it-all.

Other Words from caricature Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about caricature

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Other Words from caricature

Noun

caricatural \ ˌker-i-kə-ˈchu̇r-əl

, -ˈchər- , -ˈtyu̇r- , -ˈtu̇r- , ˌka-ri- \ adjective

caricaturist \ ˈker-i-kə-ˌchu̇r-ist

, -ˌchər- , -ˌtyu̇r- , -ˌtu̇r- , ˈka-ri- \ noun

Synonyms for caricature

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

Choose the Right Synonym for caricature

Noun

caricature, burlesque, parody, travesty mean a comic or grotesque imitation. caricature implies ludicrous exaggeration of the characteristic features of a subject. caricatures of politicians in cartoons burlesque implies mockery especially through giving a serious or lofty subject a frivolous treatment. a nightclub burlesque of a trial in court parody applies especially to treatment of a trivial or ludicrous subject in the exactly imitated style of a well-known author or work. a witty parody of a popular novel travesty implies that the subject remains unchanged but that the style is extravagant or absurd. this production is a travesty of the opera

Examples of caricature in a Sentence

Noun An artist was doing caricatures in the park. His performance in the film was a caricature of a hard-boiled detective. The interview made her into a caricature of a struggling artist. Verb The press caricatured him as clumsy and forgetful. caricatured the supervisor's distinctive walk

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Their guiding principle was to keep the show’s tone grounded, to prevent it from veering into the realm of caricature or soap opera. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2021 But Obama also steered clear of major scandals and didn't offer easy caricature. — Bill Carter For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, 14 May 2021 When giving notes to a white author about his Black protagonist, an insulting caricature, Nella is accused of being racist and pressured to apologize. — Annabel Gutterman, Time, 12 May 2021 From behind this caricature Alfred Hitchcock emerged to introduce a weekly television show filled with the bizarre and the macabre. — The Economist, 10 Apr. 2021 Can soapy melodramas actually be improved with an insane caricature from a completely different genre in a supporting role? — Kathryn Doyle, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2021 The news has been met with outrage and protests from many residents who say the series has the potential to exacerbate recent social and economic shifts, and may forever brand the town in the image of social media caricature. — NBC News, 22 Apr. 2021 Exacerbating this culture shock, the stereotypes of Jamaica and Jamaicans were also really negative, to the point of caricature. — Gloria Alamrew, refinery29.com, 20 Apr. 2021 Fearless is a strong pop album, but the repetitiousness of its imagery and sound contributed to the caricature-like view that many people had of Swift. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb That gave Democrats an opening to caricature them as pawns of the president and a party establishment that was using them. — NBC news, 6 Jan. 2021 Though Trump attempted to caricature Harris during the campaign as a leftist who would dominate Biden and turn the country into a socialist republic, she is hardly viewed within the party as a movement progressive. — Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2020 Biden made the race into a referendum on Trump, and the president tried to caricature Biden as a corrupt, past-his-prime politician who was too weak to hold off the far left wing of his party. — Jordan Fabian, Bloomberg.com, 7 Nov. 2020 Campaigns usually don’t make bobbleheads specifically because of their potential to caricature the candidates, Parry-Giles says. — Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2020 In 2015, masked gunmen stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French newspaper that had caricatured the Prophet Mohammad, methodically killing 12 people, including the editor, before escaping in a car. — BostonGlobe.com, 6 Jan. 2020 Pelosi, who has served in Congress for more than three decades, has long been caricatured as a San Francisco limousine liberal with extreme views. — Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 May 2020 Democrats’ efforts to caricature Mr. Trump as anti-Hispanic have had some success and the president has helped fuel the charge. — Mary Anastasia O’grady, WSJ, 9 Feb. 2020 But Biden is not the across-the-board liberal hawk that he is sometimes caricatured as. — Noah Millman, TheWeek, 3 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caricature.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.