Caricaturists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who create exaggerated representations of others, often emphasizing distinctive physical traits or characteristics for humor or satire
2. Artists that portray subjects in a ludicrously distorted manner to highlight nuances of personality or socio-political commentary
3. Creators of amusing and often satirical illustrations that capture the essence of a person or situation through hyperbole and whimsicality

Etymology: The word "caricature" entered English from French, which had borrowed it from Italian "caricatura," meaning "a exaggeration" or "a loading," drawn from "caricare," to load or overload. The idea was that a portrait was overloaded, with its features pushed past the truth until the likeness became a joke. Italian artists were using the term for this kind of deliberate exaggeration before it spread across Europe. "Caricaturist" is simpler: it is "caricature" with the suffix "-ist," which marks a person who practises or works in a particular craft or field. The suffix came into English through French from Latin "-ista," and originally came from Greek, where it formed agent nouns from verbs. So a caricaturist is, literally, someone who practises the art of overloading a face.

Synonyms: satirists, parodists, illustrators