caricature

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caricature

a picture that exaggerates a person’s features to produce a comic or grotesque effect: Political cartoonists often use caricature to illustrate the character of their subject.

Not to be confused with:

character – distinctive feature or attribute; nature; disposition; makeup: It is against her character to be anything other than kind.

car·i·ca·ture

(kăr′ĭ-kə-cho͝or′, -chər)

a. A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect.

b. The art of creating such representations.

2. A grotesque imitation or misrepresentation: The trial was a caricature of justice.

tr.v. car·i·ca·tured, car·i·ca·tur·ing, car·i·ca·tures

To represent or imitate in an exaggerated, distorted manner.

[French, from Italian caricatura, from caricare, to load, exaggerate, from Late Latin carricāre, from Latin carrus, a Gallic type of wagon; see kers- in Indo-European roots.]

car′i·ca·tur′ist n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

caricature

(ˈkærɪkəˌtjʊə)

1. a pictorial, written, or acted representation of a person, which exaggerates his or her characteristic traits for comic effect

2. a ludicrously inadequate or inaccurate imitation: he is a caricature of a statesman.

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

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

ˈcaricaˌtural adj

ˈcaricaˌturist n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

car•i•ca•ture

(ˈkær ɪ kə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər)

n., v. -tured, -tur•ing. n.

1. a picture or description ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of a person or thing.

2. the art or process of producing such pictures or descriptions.

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

v.t.

4. to make a caricature of.

[1740–50; < Italian caricatura, derivative of caricat(o) affected, literally, loaded]

car′i•ca•tur•ist, n.

syn: See burlesque.

caricature

a distorted representation, usually pictorial, often used to parody people in public life. — caricaturist, n.

caricature

Past participle: caricatured
Gerund: caricaturing

Imperative
caricature
caricature

Present
I caricature
you caricature
he/she/it caricatures
we caricature
you caricature
they caricature

Preterite
I caricatured
you caricatured
he/she/it caricatured
we caricatured
you caricatured
they caricatured

Present Continuous
I am caricaturing
you are caricaturing
he/she/it is caricaturing
we are caricaturing
you are caricaturing
they are caricaturing

Present Perfect
I have caricatured
you have caricatured
he/she/it has caricatured
we have caricatured
you have caricatured
they have caricatured

Past Continuous
I was caricaturing
you were caricaturing
he/she/it was caricaturing
we were caricaturing
you were caricaturing
they were caricaturing

Past Perfect
I had caricatured
you had caricatured
he/she/it had caricatured
we had caricatured
you had caricatured
they had caricatured

Future
I will caricature
you will caricature
he/she/it will caricature
we will caricature
you will caricature
they will caricature

Future Perfect
I will have caricatured
you will have caricatured
he/she/it will have caricatured
we will have caricatured
you will have caricatured
they will have caricatured

Future Continuous
I will be caricaturing
you will be caricaturing
he/she/it will be caricaturing
we will be caricaturing
you will be caricaturing
they will be caricaturing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been caricaturing
you have been caricaturing
he/she/it has been caricaturing
we have been caricaturing
you have been caricaturing
they have been caricaturing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been caricaturing
you will have been caricaturing
he/she/it will have been caricaturing
we will have been caricaturing
you will have been caricaturing
they will have been caricaturing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been caricaturing
you had been caricaturing
he/she/it had been caricaturing
we had been caricaturing
you had been caricaturing
they had been caricaturing

Conditional
I would caricature
you would caricature
he/she/it would caricature
we would caricature
you would caricature
they would caricature

Past Conditional
I would have caricatured
you would have caricatured
he/she/it would have caricatured
we would have caricatured
you would have caricatured
they would have caricatured

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

caricature

A picture ludicrously exaggerating the qualities, defects, or peculiarities of a person or idea.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	caricature - a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect impersonation, imitation mock-heroic - a satirical imitation of heroic verse humor, wit, witticism, wittiness, humour - a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter parody, pasquinade, put-on, sendup, spoof, charade, lampoon, mockery, burlesque, travesty, takeoff - a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way
Verb	1.	caricature - represent in or produce a caricature of; "The drawing caricatured the President" ape mock - imitate with mockery and derision; "The children mocked their handicapped classmate"

caricature

noun

1. parody, cartoon, distortion, satire, send-up (Brit. informal), travesty, takeoff (informal), lampoon, burlesque, mimicry, farce The poster showed a caricature of Hitler with a devil's horns and tail.

verb

1. parody, take off (informal), mock, distort, ridicule, mimic, send up (Brit. informal), lampoon, burlesque, satirize Her political career has been caricatured in the newspapers.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

caricature

noun

A false, derisive, or impudent imitation of something:

burlesque, farce, mock, mockery, parody, sham, travesty.

verb

To copy (the manner or expression of another), especially in an exaggerated or mocking way:

ape, burlesque, imitate, mimic, mock, parody, travesty.

Idiom: do a takeoff on.

Translations

رَسْمٌ هَزَليُّ ساخِرٌ

karikaturakarikovat

karikatur

Karikatur

caricatura

karikatyyripilakuva

caricature

karikatúra

skopmynd

caricatura parodiare

karikatūrakarikatūristas

karikatūra

karikaturerenkarikatuur vertekenen

karikatur vrengebilde

karykaturakarykaturować

caricature

[ˈkærɪkətjʊəʳ]

A. N → caricatura f; (in newspaper) → dibujo m cómico
it was a caricature of a ceremony (fig) → fue una parodia de ceremonia

B. VT → caricaturizar

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

caricature

[ˈkærɪkətʃʊə^r] n

(= drawing) → caricature f

(= exaggeration) [truth] → caricature f

caricature

n → Karikatur f

vt → karikieren

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

caricature

[ˈkærɪkəˌtjʊəʳ]

1. n → caricatura

2. vt → fare una caricatura di

caricature

(ˈkӕrikətjuə) noun

a drawing or imitation (of someone or something) which is so exaggerated as to appear ridiculous. Caricatures of politicians appear in the newspapers every day.

ˈcaricaturist noun

a person who makes caricatures.

References in classic literature ?

At the time of which I write, the Art of Caricature was just approaching the close of its colored and most extravagant stage of development.

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The interpretation of the German spirit must have read as a caricature in 1908.

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Dickens above everything is a humorist, and one of the chief features in his humor is caricature, that is exaggerating and distorting one feature or habit or characteristic of a man out of all likeness to nature.

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"I could get a man to make a caricature, but I haven't five hundred francs to pay for it."

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Even before his return to England, however, he excited a reaction, by his abundantly justified but untactful condemnation of American piracy of English books; and this reaction was confirmed by his subsequent caricature of American life in 'American Notes' and 'Martin Chuzzlewit.' For a number of years during the middle part of his career Dickens devoted a vast amount of energy to managing and taking the chief part in a company of amateur actors, who performed at times in various cities.

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Becky made a caricature of his figure, which she showed to Lord Steyne when he arrived.

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I conclude these remarks by copying the following portrait of the religion of the south, (which is, by communion and fellowship, the religion of the north,) which I soberly affirm is "true to the life," and without caricature or the slightest exaggeration.

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John Dashwood was a strong caricature of himself;-- more narrow-minded and selfish.

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It would be a mistake to think that this is ironic- a caricature of the historical accounts.

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The sensible things are not realities, but shadows only, in relation to the truth.' These unmeaning propositions are hardly suspected to be a caricature of a great theory of knowledge, which Plato in various ways and under many figures of speech is seeking to unfold.

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A man couldn't cover himself with dust by rolling in a paradox, could he?' And then, as the idea came home to him, he resorted to caricature. Hadn't they any clothes-brushes in the Future?

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After hearing this caricature of Clare's opinion poor Tess was glad that she had not said a word in a weak moment about her family--even though it was so unusually old almost to have gone round the circle and become a new one.

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