cartoonishly
|car-toon-ish-ly|
🇺🇸
/kɑrˈtuːnɪʃli/
🇬🇧
/kɑːˈtuːnɪʃli/
(cartoonish)
resembling a cartoon; exaggerated/simplified
Etymology
'cartoonishly' originates from English, specifically from the adjective 'cartoonish' plus the adverbial suffix '-ly', where suffix '-ly' meant 'in the manner of' to form an adverb.
'cartoonish' derived from 'cartoon' + suffix '-ish'; 'cartoon' entered English from Italian 'cartone' (meaning 'heavy paper' or 'cardboard') via the sense of a preparatory drawing on heavy paper and later came to mean humorous drawings; adding '-ish' formed the adjective and then '-ly' formed the adverb 'cartoonishly'.
Initially related to 'cartone' (a type of heavy paper or preparatory drawing), the word evolved to mean a humorous or exaggerated drawing ('cartoon') and then 'cartoonish' came to mean 'like a cartoon' (exaggerated or stylized); 'cartoonishly' now means 'in a cartoon-like manner' or 'exaggeratedly'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a manner that resembles or is characteristic of cartoons — often exaggerated, simplified, or caricatured.
He reacted cartoonishly, flailing his arms and making an exaggerated face.
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Antonyms
Adverb 2
in a style or manner similar to animated cartoons or comic illustrations (often referring to visual appearance or movements).
The colors in the ad were cartoonishly bright to grab attention.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/30 11:05