clown

1 of 2

noun

ˈklau̇n 

1

: farmer, countryman

2

: a rude ill-bred person : boor

3

a

: a fool, jester, or comedian in an entertainment (such as a play)

specifically : a grotesquely dressed comedy performer in a circus

b

: a person who habitually jokes and plays the buffoon

c

: joker sense 1b

clown

2 of 2

verb

clowned; clowning; clowns

intransitive verb

: to act as or like a clown

always clowning around

Synonyms

Noun

• buffo
• buffoon
• harlequin
• zany

Verb

• act up
• cut up
• fool around
• horse around
• hotdog
• monkey (around)
• show off
• showboat
• skylark

Examples of clown in a Sentence

Noun

Those big shoes make you look like a clown!

Who's the clown standing in the middle of the road?

those clowns at the state capital

Verb

as a youngster he was always clowning around in the classroom

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Seconds later, the clown pulled out a gun and shot Warren in the mouth at point blank range. —Kc Baker, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

The third film about the sociopathic clown largely repeats the pros and cons of the last movie — killer makeup effects and a great performance buried in a repetitive flick with a story that’s impossible to care about — but that’s more than enough for fans of this increasingly popular franchise. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024

Verb

Members of the troupe will be performing feats of juggling and foot-juggling, rola bola stunts, clowning and more. —Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024

Maybe the Wu-Tang Clan will feel inspired to clown him in another song? —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably of Low German origin; akin to Frisian klönne clumsy fellow, Old English clyne lump of metal

First Known Use

Noun

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing clown

• ass-clown
• clown fish
• play the clown
• the class clown

Kids Definition

clown

1 of 2 noun

ˈklau̇n 

1

: a rude and often stupid person

2

: a performer (as in a play or circus) who usually wears funny clothes and makeup and tries to make people laugh

clownish

ˈklau̇-nish

adjective

clownishly adverb

clownishness noun

clown

2 of 2 verb

: to act like a clown