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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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
Joy Behar split from her co-hosts by not being a fan of the caricature. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025 Season 3’s characters have begun to feel less like real people and more like caricatures at this point. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 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
  • Imagination was key to the films that Hess made after Napoleon Dynamite: the soulful Nacho Libre, in which Jack Black as a novice monk and Lucha Libre fan gave a fully rounded characterization, and the ingenious fantasy-fiction parody Gentlemen Broncos.
    Armond White, National Review, 16 Apr. 2025
  • The joke came in an SNL parody of The White Lotus, which stars Wood.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Plot details for The Naked Gun are being kept under wraps, but like the first three movies, viewers can expect a cop spoof filled with ridiculous sight gags.
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Beginning in the ‘30s and really hitting their stride in the glorious color animation of the ‘40s and ‘50s, the Warner Bros. cartoons have certainly stretched the bounds of what’s possible in 8-11 minutes, from full opera spoofs to fourth-wall-breaking experiments.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Their suffering has often been dismissed as exaggeration, hysteria, or simply the cost of existence.
    Jayne Mattingly, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Unfortunately, this plot element isn’t an exaggeration for dramatic effect.
    Maria Flynn, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The show and its participants were even parodied on Saturday Night Live in January, with comedian Ego Nwodim playing Amuli, and other cast members mocking people’s poor conversation skills and unintelligent dating decisions.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Altman mocked Musk by making a counter-offer to buy X for $9.7 billion.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Trump sued Maher in 2013 for $5 million after the comedian made a crass joke about his mother and an orangutan.
    Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Andrews adds musical interludes, which don’t always work, and brutal jokes, which do.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The story works less as a Hollywood satire than as a survival thriller.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Scottish actor Capaldi, the twelfth Doctor in the Doctor Who universe (2013–2017), won several awards, including a British Academy Television Award, for his performance as Malcolm Tucker in the beloved satire The Thick of It (2005–2012).
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • After writing a viral blogpost about the ingredients found in a Chick-fil-A sandwich including food coloring, MSG and refined grains, the company invited Hari to their headquarters to discuss her concerns.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • The new species was identified by its call, size, texture, eyes, coloring, toe shape and other subtle physical features, the study said.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Cubs beat the Dodgers 16-0 on Saturday, featuring an entertaining moment in which position-player-pitching Miguel Rojas imitated the deliveries of a few Dodgers pitchers.
    Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Moreover, these models can imitate individuals' or industries' writing styles and wording.
    Kevin Korte, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Caricature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caricature. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on caricature

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!