Figure
Figure noun - A line that traces the outer limits of an object or surface.
Usage example: we could gradually see the figure of a ship coming our way through the fog
Shape is a synonym for figure in outline topic. In some cases you can use "Shape" instead the word "Figure" as a noun or a verb, when it comes to topics like body, appearance, art, design. popular alternative
Shape
Shape noun - The outward appearance of something as distinguished from its substance.
Usage example: that part of the state is known as the panhandle because of its shape
Figure is a synonym for shape in form topic. You can use "Figure" instead the word "Shape" as a noun or a verb, if it concerns topics such as body, appearance, art, outline. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
| human | human figure | human shape |
| good | good figure | good shape |
| female | female figure | female shape |
| better | better figure | better shape |
| Other adjectives: similar, perfect, original, actual, real, large, big, black, dark, feminine, new, giant, demonic. | ||
Common collocations
| character | figure character | shape character |
| image | figure image | shape image |
| pattern | figure pattern | shape pattern |
| development | figure development | shape development |
| Other words: way, personality. | ||
Both words in one sentence
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Once you drag that old B-29 out of Lake Mead, Loyal (the Boomers' master technologist who's just as old as Pearl) demonstrates that he apparently has excellent knowledge the shape of Pearl's former figure by adorning the restored plane with nose art depicting her from way back when.
Source: I Was Quite a Looker -
The presence of the horns and the shape of the wings make the figure posed to form a familiar symbol: Kain's clan emblem, seen hanging over his shoulder since Soul Reaver.
Source: Video Game / Legacy of Kain -
Suffice to say, he is probably the most influential French political figure of the 20th century, and his legacy continues to shape French politics to this very day.
Source: Useful Notes / Charles De Gaulle
Cite this Source
Shape and Figure. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/figure/shape
Figure & Shape. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/figure/shape>.
Shape or Figure. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/figure/shape.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "figure" and "shape" have occurred on timeline