What does cartoony mean?
Cartoony is an adjective describing something that resembles a cartoon, particularly in its simplified shapes, bright or exaggerated features, humorously unrealistic behavior, or overall visual style. The term is common in discussions of animation, illustration, architecture, performance, fashion, and design. It may be approving when it refers to deliberate comic imagery, as in “a cartoony superhero,” but it is often mildly disparaging when applied to a realistic subject rendered in an implausible manner, as in “a cartoony portrayal of a politician.” The word has become familiar enough to function almost as a general synonym for cartoonish, although it usually carries a stronger suggestion of comic exaggeration. A character with a broad smile and bouncing movements might be called cartoony, while a merely colorful drawing would not necessarily merit the description.
adjectiveCharacteristic of or resembling a cartoon, especially through simplified forms, exaggerated features, or comic behavior.
- Resembling a cartoon in appearance, style, or manner.
- Comically exaggerated, simplified, or unrealistic in presentation.
"The film's broad shapes and bright colors gave the cityscape a cheerful, cartoony look."
"The actor's exaggerated expressions and elastic movements were distinctly cartoony."
"Architects praised the building's clean geometry, although some critics considered its design overly cartoony."
The word began with Italian cartone, a large sheet of paper, and grew into a label for art that looks as if it could spring from a comic strip.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does cartoony come from?
Cartoony was formed in English by adding the suffix -y to cartoon, an earlier borrowing from French and ultimately from Italian cartone, a large sheet of paper and the origin of the term for an preparatory drawing. Italian cartone derives from carta, “paper,” which continues Latin charta, itself borrowed from Greek. The modern adjective developed alongside the established English senses of cartoon to characterize something resembling a comic drawing or animation.
How cartoony is actually used
Informal and usually somewhat critical or dismissive, especially when describing a person, place, performance, or design as unrealistically exaggerated. It can also be used approvingly to describe playful, comic-book-like imagery.
Easily confused with cartoony
Cartoon is a noun for a humorous drawing or animation, and it can also describe something resembling a comic strip; cartoony is an adjective meaning cartoon-like or comically exaggerated.