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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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
  • After attending the prestigious Juilliard School for drama, Kilmer starred in the spy movie spoof Top Secret! and the college comedy Real Genius before appearing opposite Tom Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Maverick’s rival Iceman.
    Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 1 Apr. 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Caricature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caricature. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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