1
as in symbols
a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader
the pictorial characters of the ancient Egyptians had long been a mystery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in eccentrics
a person of odd or whimsical habits
the junk dealer is certainly a character, but he's as honest as they come
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reputations
overall quality as seen or judged by people in general
the general character of the business appears to be good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in characteristics
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind
one of the distinguishing characters of mammals
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in identities
the set of qualities that make a person different from other people
she regards each of her children as having a distinctive character that should be valued for what it is
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in personalities
the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others
the basic character of the work requires that an employee be able to work quietly and independently
Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in people
a member of the human race
you wouldn't believe what kind of characters hang around the bus station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in characterizes
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
formerly charactered as "the dark ages," that period of history may not have been quite so benighted as once thought
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of characters
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
The animation is a little rough around the edges — there’s a shot of wine being poured down a sink where the red liquid is depicted in CGI, for some reason — but the slightly retro style with the characters’ prominent lips and sharp chins added to the camp appeal.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
They will be joined by a slate of new additions – Luna Maya, Bryan Domani, Shindy Huang, Myesha Lin and Derby Romero – who play fresh characters entering the story’s zombie-survival universe.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
What cuts most deeply are less the big gut-punching reveals than the way the characters try, fail and try again to come clean to themselves.
—Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
The cast of animatronic characters will include the Maestro, No Legs Larry, Houdelini, Great Garbanzo, Hilda Bovine, Lionel Burymore and a black cat named Arpeggio.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Though the tension is supercharged by the Kennedy name and the characters’ mutual fame, the fight itself resembles any ordinary couple bickering about their in-laws and lost spark.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
The prologue that opens Ragtime loudly announces the musical’s epic ambitions as its nine fictional characters and six of its historical figures introduce themselves with third-person narration and shout-singing.
—Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
KPop Demon Hunters characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie were also featured.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
Netflix characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie from KPop Demon Hunters will also join the lineup.
—Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Noun
The photograph feels funereal but rich, somehow—evocative of the days when Edith Wharton’s troubled characters tried to hide from others’ eyes, while the carriage horses clopped along, each step as heavy as destiny.
—Hilton Als, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
The animation is a little rough around the edges — there’s a shot of wine being poured down a sink where the red liquid is depicted in CGI, for some reason — but the slightly retro style with the characters’ prominent lips and sharp chins added to the camp appeal.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026
They will be joined by a slate of new additions – Luna Maya, Bryan Domani, Shindy Huang, Myesha Lin and Derby Romero – who play fresh characters entering the story’s zombie-survival universe.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
What cuts most deeply are less the big gut-punching reveals than the way the characters try, fail and try again to come clean to themselves.
—Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
The cast of animatronic characters will include the Maestro, No Legs Larry, Houdelini, Great Garbanzo, Hilda Bovine, Lionel Burymore and a black cat named Arpeggio.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Though the tension is supercharged by the Kennedy name and the characters’ mutual fame, the fight itself resembles any ordinary couple bickering about their in-laws and lost spark.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
The prologue that opens Ragtime loudly announces the musical’s epic ambitions as its nine fictional characters and six of its historical figures introduce themselves with third-person narration and shout-singing.
—Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
What would Six Flags look like without its most valuable properties like Looney Tunes and, especially, its DC Comics characters Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman?
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
KPop Demon Hunters characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie were also featured.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
Netflix characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie from KPop Demon Hunters will also join the lineup.
—Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characters
Noun
-
These statues are often more than a hundred years old and are symbols of great pride for their neighborhood parishes.—
Alexis Marshall,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The two even teamed up as Depp branded two cases of wood to match the symbols on their new Three Hearts bottles.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On her trail are a Báthory relative who is vegetarian (Thomas Schubert), his psychotherapist (Lars Eidinger), two vampirologists, a police inspector and a gallery of eccentrics.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Catherine O’Hara portrayed ridiculous eccentrics with equal parts hilarity and humanity.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The reputations of Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Shigeru Ban, Bernard Tschumi, Alvaro Siza, and Tadao Ando do not depend on the one or two buildings each of them have bestowed on New York.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
1 Apr. 2026
-
But Reich says philanthropy is still regularly used by people with means to cultivate their reputations.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The interface of the desktop website version includes key mission milestones and characteristics about the moon, including information about landing sites during the Apollo era.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Hegseth exhibits those characteristics, and our soldiers finally have someone to follow.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
More recently, initiatives such as Operation Janus and Operation Second Look have used data matching and record review to identify inconsistencies in immigration files, including cases involving duplicate identities, missing biometric data, or undisclosed prior removal orders.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The investigation is ongoing and the identities of the people who died have not been released.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mortensen and other Secret Lives of Mormon Wives personalities were previously set to guest on the show, which follows Lisa Vanderpump's staff and guests.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The ever-expanding Real Housewives franchise has officially added Rhode Island into the mix, and while the charming New England state may be the smallest in the country, the personalities are anything but.—
Erin Lassner,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Other weirdness characterizes the city’s plan beginning with the decision to put a tourism agency, Choose Chicago, in charge.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Even preschoolers there are taught to spot the online disinformation that characterizes 21st-century hybrid warfare.—
Liam Denning,
Bloomberg,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Linda May Han Oh playing classic repertoire from throughout Coltrane’s career and originals inspired by his legacy.—
Andrew Gilbert,
San Francisco Chronicle,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In January, the department implemented a new mail policy in which prisoners will receive photocopies of confidential and legal mail instead of the originals, which are shredded to prevent contraband from entering the facility.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characters. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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