ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cardboard

n. · adj.
US //ˈkɑɹdˌbɔɹd// UK //kˈɑːdbɔːd// card·board
  1. 1 packaging material (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a thick, strong type of paper used for making boxes.

    a stiff, heavy-duty paper-based material, often corrugated, used primarily for manufacturing containers and shipping boxes.

    Example

    We need several large cardboard boxes to pack all our books for the move.

    Example

    The warehouse was filled with stacks of flattened cardboard ready to be recycled after the morning deliveries were processed.
  2. 2 made of cardboard (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    made from thick, stiff paper.

    constructed from or consisting of cardboard material.

    Example

    The children made a cardboard castle out of old delivery packages.

    Example

    The stage designer used painted cardboard cutouts to create the illusion of a dense forest behind the actors.

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  1. 3 fake or shallow (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    used to describe something that feels fake, boring, or not real.

    describing something that lacks depth, realism, or vitality; often applied to poorly developed fictional characters.

    Example

    The movie was okay, but the villain felt like a cardboard character with no real motive.

    Example

    Critics dismissed the play, arguing that the dialogue was wooden and the protagonist was a mere cardboard stereotype of a detective.
    • two dimensional
    • flat
    • unconvincing
Origin

From card + board.

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