Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lay figure

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.50 in modern English

Syllables: lay -fig-ure
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A jointed model of the human body used by artists, or to display clothes.

noun

An unimportant person; a character (especially in fiction) who lacks individuality and is one-dimensional.

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: dummy, mannequin"
"‘I have a great mind to break all your gashly images about the head of your fine Miss, in her silks and satins;’—mistaking his lay-figure for a living model of the highest sort."
"‘I rather thought I was useful as an audience, but only as a lay figure is useful to a painter: both can be put aside when no longer required.’"

Inflected Forms

lay figures (plural)

Phrases

stick figure

Frequently Paired Words

stick figure layperson doll action figure NPC Joe Average more there

Synonyms

dummy mannequin

Questions

What does lay figure mean?: A jointed model of the human body used by artists, or to display clothes.

How to pronounce lay figure

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lay figure”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “lay figure” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.