Synonyms of caricature

caricature 1 of 2

noun

ˈker-i-kə-ˌchu̇r 

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

• parody
• joke
• cartoon
• sham
• farce
• mockery
• simulation
• comedy
• hoax
• travesty
• burlesque
• pretense
• counterfeit
• forgery
• lampoon
• takeoff
• fake
• phony
• knockoff
• humbug
• feigning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tribute
• homage

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

• parody
• spoof
• satire
• burlesque
• imitation
• send-up
• rib
• travesty
• sketch
• takeoff
• distortion
• put-on
• comedy
• exaggeration
• mockery
• farce
• lampoon
• impersonation
• humor
• slapstick
• squib
• mimicking

3

as in exaggeration

the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts

the mayor has presented only a caricature of his opponent's views

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exaggeration
• coloring
• enhancement
• stretching
• hyperbole
• embroidery
• fabrication
• overstatement
• magnification
• elaboration
• embellishment
• misrepresentation
• hype
• embroidering
• padding
• amplification
• hedging
• puffery
• fudging
• superlative

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• understatement
• meiosis
• disparagement
• belittlement
• minimizing
• poor-mouthing

caricature

2 of 2

verb

as in to parody

to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of

caricatured the supervisor's distinctive walk

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parody
• mock
• imitate
• spoof
• do
• mimic
• burlesque
• send up
• travesty
• ridicule
• satirize
• emulate
• lampoon
• play
• simulate
• reproduce
• pretend
• perform
• gibe
• deride
• parrot
• ape
• monkey
• pasquinade
• exaggerate
• fake
• duplicate
• replicate
• personate
• sham
• pantomime
• elaborate
• act
• counterfeit
• stretch
• mime
• feign
• enhance
• pad
• embellish
• embroider
• enlarge (on or upon)
• flesh (out)
• play up
• copycat
• dissemble
• overdraw
• overstate
• put on
• amplify
• magnify
• impersonate
• expand

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

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

Recent Examples of caricature

Noun

Holtz in his later years became something of a caricature, like an actor who leans into the over-the-top quirks of his role. —Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026

Barbara isn’t a caricature but a deeply human portrait of a woman whose worldview swings wildly between moral superiority and intense self-doubt, both extremes that foreclose human connection. —Isle McElroy, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026

Verb

Israel’s fiercest advocates in the United States may caricature the end of exceptional treatment as U.S. abandonment of Israel and a reward for the perpetrators of October 7. —Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025

In the ranks of Sam Rayburn and Lyndon Johnson Pelosi is a fierce partisan and sometimes a brittle one, open to caricature by her foes. —Susan Page, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025