cartoonish

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

car•toon /kɑrˈtun/   n. 

[countable]
1. Fine Art a drawing in a newspaper, magazine, etc., that comments amusingly on someone or some situation or carries some message:
   political cartoons.
2. Fine Art comic strip.
3. a television or motion-picture film in which the characters and background are pictures that are drawn:
   animated cartoons.

car•toon•ist, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

car•toon  (kär to̅o̅n′), n. 

1. Fine Art a sketch or drawing, usually humorous, as in a newspaper or periodical, symbolizing, satirizing, or caricaturing some action, subject, or person of popular interest.
2. Fine Art See comic strip. 
3. Fine Art See animated cartoon. 
4. Fine Art a full-scale design for a picture, ornamental motif or pattern, or the like, to be transferred to a fresco, tapestry, etc.

adj. 

5. Fine Art resembling a cartoon or caricature:
   The novel is full of predictable, cartoon characters, never believable as real people.

v.t. 

6. Fine Art to represent by a cartoon.

v.i. 

7. Fine Art to draw cartoons.

• Italian cartone pasteboard, stout paper, a drawing on such paper, equivalent. to cart(a) paper (see carte) + -one augmentative suffix
• 1665–75

car•toon′ish, adj. 
car•toon′ist, n.