Cartoon — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /kär-ˈtün/ car·toon

Meaning & Definition of Cartoon

Cartoon (noun)

  1. a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
  2. a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor
  3. a group of drawings in narrative sequence, comic strip

Cartoon (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a picture using lines to represent the chief features of an object or scene

    "a political cartoon mocking the state legislature"

    similar: delineation, drawing, sketch
    related: contour, figure, outline, silhouette, caricature, doodle, illustration, depiction, image, likeness, portrait, representation, engraving, etch, etching, aquatint, charcoal, line drawing, pastel, watercolor, blueprint

  2. a series of drawings that tell a story or part of a story

    "reading the cartoons in the Sunday newspaper"

    similar: comic, comic strip, funny, strip
    related: comic book, funny paper(s), graphic novel, animated cartoon, animation, caricature

  3. a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something

    "in this biopic the life of a complex man is reduced to a cartoon"

    similar: caricature, farce, joke, mockery, parody, sham, travesty
    related: burlesque, comedy, lampoon, takeoff, counterfeit, fake, feigning, forgery, hoax, humbug, knockoff, phony, pretense, simulation
    near: homage, tribute

Cartoon (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in caricature

    similar: caricature, draw, picture, crayon, ink, pencil, outline, profile, scrawl, scribble, sketch

Related Entry: Animated cartoon (noun)

Animated cartoon is a different word from Cartoon. The synonyms below are for animated cartoon, not for cartoon.

  1. as in documentary, feature

    similar: cartoon, docudrama, documentary, feature, featurette, short, short subject, film, flick, flicker, motion picture, movie, moving picture, picture, silent, talkie, B movie, B picture, cofeature

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Cartoon

The most common words with a similar meaning to Cartoon:

delineation, drawing, sketch, comic, comic strip, funny, strip, caricature, farce, joke, mockery, parody, sham, travesty, draw, picture, crayon, ink, pencil, outline, profile, scrawl, scribble

Related Words for Cartoon

contour, figure, silhouette, doodle, illustration, depiction, image, likeness, portrait, representation, engraving, etch, etching, aquatint, charcoal, line drawing, pastel, watercolor, blueprint, comic book, funny paper(s), graphic novel, animated cartoon, animation, burlesque, comedy, lampoon, takeoff, counterfeit, fake

Near Antonyms of Cartoon

homage, tribute

Word Forms of Cartoon

Inflections: cartoons

Derived words: cartoon (verb), cartooning (noun), cartoonish (adjective), cartoonishly (adverb), cartoonist (noun), cartoonlike (adjective), cartoony (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Cartoon

Italian cartone pasteboard, cartoon, augmentative of carta leaf of paper card:1

First known use: circa 1684

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Cartoon

Words & Phrases Containing Cartoon

animated cartoon, strip cartoon

Frequently Asked Questions about Cartoon

What does "Cartoon" mean?

"Cartoon" means a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco). As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco). It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Cartoon"?

Other words for "Cartoon" include delineation, drawing, sketch, comic, comic strip, funny, strip and caricature. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Cartoon" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Cartoon"?

There are 61 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Cartoon". Common alternatives include delineation, drawing, sketch, comic, comic strip, funny, strip, caricature, farce and joke.

How do you use "Cartoon" in a sentence?

Examples of "Cartoon" in a sentence: "a political cartoon mocking the state legislature"; "reading the cartoons in the Sunday newspaper"; "in this biopic the life of a complex man is reduced to a cartoon".

Is "Cartoon" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Cartoon" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Cartoon" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Cartoon" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Cartoon"?

"Cartoon" is pronounced /kär-ˈtün/ and divided into syllables as car·toon.

What is the origin of the word "Cartoon"?

"Cartoon" comes from Italian cartone pasteboard, cartoon, augmentative of carta leaf of paper card:1. First known use: circa 1684.