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

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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
Many of those loud and wrong critics are the usual suspects: conservatives who also believe diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are unnecessary and racist trolls who have used AI to turn the statue into a racist caricature. Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 14 May 2025 Honey Boo Boo makes small, fleeting appearances throughout her interview for this week's cover story — a giggle here, a slight neck roll there — but Alana, now a 19-year-old college student at Regis University in Colorado, is no longer a caricature of her own making. Janine Rubenstein, People.com, 13 May 2025
Verb
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 Critics have caricatured the Adams plan as a giveaway to developers that will let light and sky-stealing high-rises lord over lower-density housing, rendering neighborhoods unrecognizable. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for caricature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caricature
Noun
  • Ferrell's Ricky Bobby also serves as a pitch-perfect parody of the ego-driven, preening male protagonists of many a racing film.
    James Mercadante, EW.com, 20 May 2025
  • Saturday Night Live's best car sketches, parodies and fake ads Who is in the Season 50 'SNL' cast?
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Their spoof of Donald Trump and Joe Biden bickering about who was the better golfer was conceived and recorded while the CNN presidential debate was still ongoing, and released immediately afterward.
    Don Riddell, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
  • Appealing to the kids Somehow, the Chargers and Colts ended up with the same approach of a Minecraft theme, and both making a spoof of the Rapoport-Schultz scuffle.
    Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Akasha looked up the drug online and read that a single dose was equivalent to 300 hits of acid—an exaggeration, but one that got his attention.
    Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
  • At least from speaking with him upon his arrival in Kansas City for rookie camp, that didn’t seem to be an exaggeration.
    Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • Read: The attack on trans rights won’t end there The impossible becoming possible is a hard thing to process—and easier to reject or mock than to understand.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
  • Film director Wes Anderson mocked President Donald Trump over his plan to slap tariffs on foreign films made outside of the United States.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • Think light beer, string lights, pizza, a cake with a callback to a joke from the show on it.
    Kelly Stout, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2025
  • Sarah Sherman became the butt of a joke in Johansson's musical monologue, with the MCU alum suggesting Sherman had been axed from the show without her knowledge.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 May 2025
Noun
  • Cutting satire ensues when the girl’s street-smart sister, who believes her sibling is being devoured whole by the 1 percent, intervenes to save her.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
  • In 1957, Horne starred in Jamaica, a hit Broadway satire that let a glamorous Black woman lead a musical—something rare then and now.
    Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • In January, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has targeted food dyes in recent months, banning a dye called Red 3 and working to remove eight synthetic food colorings from the food supply, according to an April news release.
    Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 14 May 2025
  • Turmeric, with its bright orange-yellow color, is widely used as a food coloring and flavoring agent.
    Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • At Cruise’s behest, McQuarrie’s stunts imitate the most primitive filmmaking — not the awe-inspiring magic of Georges Méliès but the Lumière brothers’ rudimentary documentation of action.
    Armond White, National Review, 23 May 2025
  • Walton imitated the big-box retail store and located them in small towns.
    Dileep Rao, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Caricature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caricature. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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