caricature

Everyday

1. A funny drawing of a person that makes some features, like a big nose or ears, look much bigger than they are. tree →
2. A description of a person or thing that makes them seem silly by exaggerating them. tree →
3. (verb) To draw or describe someone in this exaggerated way. tree →

In the lessons

In art lessons pupils draw caricatures; in history and media lessons political cartoons use caricature to make a point. In stories it can mean a character who is too simple, like a cartoon. Phrases: "a caricature of", "draw a caricature".

Examples

• An artist at the fair drew a caricature of me with huge teeth. tree →
• The newspaper cartoon was a caricature of the prime minister. tree →
• In the film, the villain is a caricature, not a real person. tree →
• We caricatured our teacher's big smile, kindly. tree →
• The caricature made the king's crown enormous. tree →

Note

Pronounced "KARR-ik-a-chur". A caricature exaggerates on purpose; it should not be used to bully people about their looks.