caricature 1 of 2

1
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something that TV network's reporting is a mere caricature of real journalism

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in spoof
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect the artist creates caricatures of famous paintings by replacing humans with cats

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

caricature

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun caricature differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of caricature are burlesque, parody, and travesty. While all these words mean "a comic or grotesque imitation," caricature implies ludicrous exaggeration of the characteristic features of a subject.

caricatures of politicians in cartoons

When might burlesque be a better fit than caricature?

The meanings of burlesque and caricature largely overlap; however, burlesque implies mockery especially through giving a serious or lofty subject a frivolous treatment.

a nightclub burlesque of a trial in court

In what contexts can parody take the place of caricature?

The synonyms parody and caricature are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When is travesty a more appropriate choice than caricature?

The words travesty and caricature are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, travesty implies that the subject remains unchanged but that the style is extravagant or absurd.

this production is a travesty of the opera

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of caricature
Noun
Evidence of that is how the character's voice has changed from a dour monotone to more of a Rain Man-esque caricature. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2025 And don’t miss a drink at Off the Record, a basement cocktail bar with a collection of political cartoons and caricatures from legendary artists like Matt Wuerker, Kevin Kallaugher, and Ann Telnaes. Laura Dannen Redman, AFAR Media, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
The connection between Nafisi and Bahri is presented with complexity and without sentimentality, neither papering over political differences nor caricaturing Bahri as a generic revolutionary. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2025 The first season wasn’t exactly kind and gentle, but there was a baroque, caricatured nature to the games that often made their excesses palatable. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for caricature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caricature
Noun
  • Bowen Yang is opening up after Aimee Lou Wood criticized Saturday Night Live's parody of her.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • After the clip went viral, social media exploded with memes, parodies, and backlash.
    Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The suspects are using a spoof number and identifying themselves as Officers from the Peoria Police Department.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Former presidential candidates in election years sought to be pranksters (Hillary Clinton, in a somewhat strained spoof, challenged then-Sen. Barack Obama to a bowling night).
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Tatum’s wrist looks just fine Since returning from the bone bruise in his shooting wrist that kept him out of Game 2, Tatum has played like Larry Bird – and that’s not an exaggeration.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
  • For some of the younger fans who hollered their agreement, this was probably no exaggeration.
    Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Does the fact that these Black leaders are among the rich that dandies would have mocked savor the inheritance of the style tradition or sully it?
    Akilah Sailers, Essence, 28 Apr. 2025
  • In the first round, the team stayed put at No. 14 and still landed a player that was widely mocked to the team in tight end Tyler Warren.
    Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Joy Behar landed in hot water when a joke about a decades-old scandal fell flat.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • Dave Chappelle roasted Donald Trump for taking over as chairman of the Kennedy Center—weeks after a past joke about the president went newly viral on social media.
    Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Noun
  • Even with Ted Lasso on hiatus, Apple TV+ continues to be a presence in this category; no doubt, voters loved seeing Hollywood execs (and egomaniacal stars) get skewered on the streamer's movie-industry satire, The Studio.
    Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Like a good martini, the novel blends the zesty gin of satire with vermouthy fruitiness and lemon twists of sharp observation.
    Rob Kyff, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But will these alternative colorings actually make our food healthier?
    Jamie Ducharme, Health, 30 Apr. 2025
  • This unique squirrel, with its bright white coloring, was observed in Mizoram, contributing to the understanding of color aberrations in small mammals.
    Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Its release created a wave of immense hype—and existential panic—about AI's ability to imitate human communication and composition.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025
  • At its core is the capability of computer systems or algorithms to imitate intelligent human behavior – and in some cases improve how to interpret large amounts of data to make decisions and solve problems.
    Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Caricature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caricature. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

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