Standard Lemma guide

effigy

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɛfəd͡ʒi/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: EH1 F IH0 JH IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A likeness of a person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the coin bears an effigy of Lincoln
  • the emperor's tomb had his image carved in stone

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: image, simulacrum

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: representation

Narrower terms: Guy, idol, graven image, god, scarecrow, straw man, strawman, bird-scarer, scarer, waxwork, wax figure

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

46 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bashkir: ҡарасҡы (qarasqı) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Catalan: ninot — dummy or other crude representation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 假人 (jiǎrén) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雕像 (diāoxiàng) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 肖像 (xiàoxiàng) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小人兒 /小人儿 (xiǎorénr) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Danish: afbildning — dummy or other crude representation
  • Danish: statue — dummy or other crude representation
  • Dutch: effigie — dummy or other crude representation
  • Finnish: nukke — dummy or other crude representation
  • French: effigie — dummy or other crude representation
  • German: Abbild — dummy or other crude representation
  • German: Bildnis — dummy or other crude representation
  • German: Karikatur — dummy or other crude representation
  • German: Zerrbild — dummy or other crude representation
  • Hindi: पुतला (putlā) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Italian: effigie — dummy or other crude representation
  • Japanese: 肖像 (shōzō) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Korean: 모형 (mohyeong) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Norwegian Bokmål: dukke — dummy or other crude representation
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avbildning — dummy or other crude representation
  • Ojibwe: mazinichigan — dummy or other crude representation
  • Persian: آدمک (âdamak) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Polish: kukła — dummy or other crude representation
  • Portuguese: efígie — dummy or other crude representation
  • Romanian: efigie — dummy or other crude representation
  • Russian: чу́чело (čúčelo) — dummy or other crude representation
  • Spanish: efigie — dummy or other crude representation
  • Swedish: avbildning — dummy or other crude representation
  • Tocharian B: soye — dummy or other crude representation
  • Catalan: efígie — likeness of a person
  • Finnish: kuva — likeness of a person
  • French: effigie — likeness of a person
  • German: Bildnis — likeness of a person
  • German: Konterfei — likeness of a person
  • Gothic: 𐍆𐍂𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (frisahts) — likeness of a person
  • Japanese: 画像 (gazō) — likeness of a person
  • Korean: 초상 (chosang) — likeness of a person
  • Korean: 화상 (hwasang) — likeness of a person
  • Latin: effigiēs — likeness of a person
  • Māori: pakoko — likeness of a person
  • Russian: изображе́ние (izobražénije) — likeness of a person
  • Russian: карти́на (kartína) — likeness of a person
  • Russian: портре́т (portrét) — likeness of a person
  • Russian: схо́дство (sxódstvo) — likeness of a person
  • Spanish: efigie — likeness of a person
Real reading context

effigy in complete knowledge articles