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whimsical character

whimsical character

6.5
A person in a story who is amusingly odd and playful
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪmzɪkəl ˈkɛrɪktər/
translation icon : personaje caprichoso
  • I think it literally changed his image overnight from this boy with jug ears into a sort of rather a delightful, whimsical character.

Examples

  • The book is filled with whimsical characters that bring a sense of joy and imagination to the story.

  • Everyone loved the whimsical character who danced through the streets in a bright yellow suit.

  • And he showed a very engaging kind of rather dry humour, and I think it literally changed his image overnight from this rather sort of uncomfortable boy with jug ears, with his hands behind his back, trying to imitate his father, into a sort of rather a delightful whimsical character of his own.

  • In the children's play, the whimsical character often spoke to the audience, making them feel part of the adventure.

Synonyms

character
vswhimsical character
  • Informal
623 4.1

An interesting or unusual person you notice because of how they act

is an invented amusing figure rather than a real person with quirks
fictional character
vswhimsical character
15 2.8

A person created by an author for a story like a book or film

is more playful and fanciful than a plain invented person
colorful character
vswhimsical character
  • US
4 4.8

A person who is interesting and unusual in a lively way

is an invented amusing figure rather than a real lively person
fictitious character
vswhimsical character
1 4.0

A person who is not real and appears in a story, book, or film

is more playful and fanciful than a general invented person
whangdoodle
vswhimsical character
  • Archaic
1 9.9

An imaginary creature often found in children's stories

is a humanlike invented figure rather than a creature

Antonyms

452 1.4

Calm and focused, not playful or joking

80 4.3

Ordinary daily things or events that are not special and often feel boring

How Whimsical

whimsical character
6.5
eccentric
1 7.0
character
  • Informal
623 4.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

whimsical + character

The noun phrase is straightforwardly compositional: 'whimsical' (fanciful, amusingly odd) modifies 'character' (a fictional person), so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituents. This adjective+noun pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand the phrase.

Etymology

Whimsical character comes from the word whim (a sudden, playful idea) and character (a person or a role). Imagine someone who follows funny, sudden ideas and acts in odd, creative ways; that's why the phrase means 'a person who is amusingly odd or imaginative'.