effigy

E1F4F4I1G2Y4
/ˈɛfəd͡ʒi/

noun

A dummy or other crude representation of a person, group or object that is hated.

“tomb effigy”

UncommonScrabble 16

Meanings

nouneffigy (plural effigies)

plural effigies

  1. A dummy or other crude representation of a person, group or object that is hated.

    In England on Bonfire Night, an effigy is often burned.

  2. A likeness of a person.

    tomb effigy

    2 more examples

    All around, terrace by terrace, there went marble lawns well guarded by onyx lions and carved with effigies of all the gods striding amid the symbols of the worlds.

    1906, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], Time and the Gods, London: William Heineman, →OCLC, page 1

    There are two tombs, each bearing effigies of a knight and his lady. One is 14th century, the other 15th century. The earlier knight wears chain mail and his lady has long, flowing hair. The later knight has plate armour, and his wife wears a wimple.

    1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 54

    Synonyms: figure, image, picture

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA likeness of a person.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture)

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latineffigiēs“likeness, effigy”
  2. Frencheffigie
  3. Englisheffigy

From French effigie, from Latin effigiēs (“likeness, effigy”), from effingō (“represent, portray”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan ninot, efígie
  • ninotdummy or other crude representation
  • efígielikeness of a person
Chinese Mandarin 假人, 雕像
  • 假人 (jiǎrén)dummy or other crude representation
  • 雕像 (diāoxiàng)dummy or other crude representation
  • 肖像 (xiàoxiàng)dummy or other crude representation
  • 小人兒 /小人儿 (xiǎorénr)dummy or other crude representation
Danish afbildning, statue
  • afbildningdummy or other crude representation
  • statuedummy or other crude representation
Dutch effigie
  • effigiedummy or other crude representation
Finnish nukke, kuva
  • nukkedummy or other crude representation
  • kuvalikeness of a person
French effigie, effigie
  • effigiedummy or other crude representation
  • effigielikeness of a person
German Abbild, Bildnis
  • Abbilddummy or other crude representation
  • Bildnisdummy or other crude representation
  • Karikaturdummy or other crude representation
  • Zerrbilddummy or other crude representation
  • Bildnislikeness of a person
  • Konterfeilikeness of a person
  • Effigielikeness of a person
Hindi पुतला
  • पुतला (putlā)dummy or other crude representation
Italian effigie
  • effigiedummy or other crude representation
Japanese 肖像, 画像
  • 肖像 (shōzō)dummy or other crude representation
  • 画像 (gazō)likeness of a person
Korean 모형, 초상
  • 모형 (mohyeong)dummy or other crude representation
  • 초상 (chosang)likeness of a person
  • 화상 (hwasang)likeness of a person
Latin effigiēs
  • effigiēslikeness of a person
Māori pakoko
  • pakokolikeness of a person
Norwegian Bokmål dukke, avbildning
  • dukkedummy or other crude representation
  • avbildningdummy or other crude representation
Persian آدمک
  • آدمک (âdamak)dummy or other crude representation
Polish kukła
  • kukładummy or other crude representation
Portuguese efígie
  • efígiedummy or other crude representation
Romanian efigie
  • efigiedummy or other crude representation
Russian чу́чело, изображе́ние
  • чу́чело (čúčelo)dummy or other crude representation
  • изображе́ние (izobražénije)likeness of a person
  • карти́на (kartína)likeness of a person
  • портре́т (portrét)likeness of a person
  • схо́дство (sxódstvo)likeness of a person
Spanish efigie, efigie
  • efigiedummy or other crude representation
  • efigielikeness of a person
Swedish avbildning
  • avbildningdummy or other crude representation
Cite this entry
APA

effigy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/effigy

MLA

“effigy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/effigy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “effigy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/effigy.

Source: effigy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.