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
clowned; clowning; clowns
: to act as or like a clown
always clowning around
Synonyms
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
Eric Kohn, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
The story features Mauro, a clown who dreams of a carnival where a parade of revelers are celebrating his life.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Yes — the face of an entire horror franchise with his twisted portrayal of It clown Pennywise — was more than ready to set free Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clown 
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Noun
Both movies feature a killer clown, but while Joaquin Phoenix’s grinning menace suffers from delusions of grandeur and an unspecified mental illness, the hideous ghoul from hell in Terrifier known as Art hacks away at his victims with no discernible motivation beyond the grisly acts themselves.
—Eric Kohn, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
The story features Mauro, a clown who dreams of a carnival where a parade of revelers are celebrating his life.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
It's taken my focus away as well, so maybe a little less clowning and more focus on the actual victory.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Yes — the face of an entire horror franchise with his twisted portrayal of It clown Pennywise — was more than ready to set free Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clown
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Dictionary Entries Near clown
Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clown. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clown
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
adjective
ˈklau̇-nish
clownishly
adverb
clownishness
noun
clown
2 of 2 verb
: to act like a clown
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