as in boorish
having or showing crudely insensitive or impolite manners
the clownish antics of some of the teenagers at the wedding reception
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clownish
Both McAdams and O’Brien move beyond expectations to deliver highly expressive, almost clownish performances — in the best way.
—
Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
All the forces and clownish figures of the moment, from Howard Stern to Al Sharpton, weighed in.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Pratt, who long cultivated a clownish and villainous persona, leveraged his significant social media presence following the fire to refashion himself as an earnest mix of citizen watchdog and populist firebrand.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Switcheroo is all snappy disco, clownish house, and musical sight gags.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clownish
Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
All the forces and clownish figures of the moment, from Howard Stern to Al Sharpton, weighed in.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Pratt, who long cultivated a clownish and villainous persona, leveraged his significant social media presence following the fire to refashion himself as an earnest mix of citizen watchdog and populist firebrand.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Switcheroo is all snappy disco, clownish house, and musical sight gags.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clownish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clownish
Adjective
-
Entitled also makes a compelling case that Andrew is—to put it delicately—boorish and dim.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
-
An exodus of prosecutors who didn’t care for his staff screaming sessions and boorish press conferences.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, sometimes the situation is more serious than stupid.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Those songs both ended with squalls of noise, hinting at Bash’s interest in more uncouth arrangements.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Trump's uncouth behavior barely rates a headline anymore, so frequent are the examples.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The four leads are overconfident and loutish, spending their time drinking, rambling, and clumsily working through their worries about the future.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Mays’ Salieri is at once aghast at such loutish behavior and bitterly envious that Mozart is exceptional enough to get away with it.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of the reaction to his death was also classless.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Communism, in its traditional definition, describes a system in which private property is abolished and the means of production are collectively owned, with the goal of creating a classless society.—
Cameron Schoppa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Most of that action is on the Democratic side and the sniping is getting downright churlish as we near the March 17 primary elections.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Of all the churlish insults that Americans have had to endure during the Trump era, this is one of the most offensive.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Doncic claimed Bitadze directed a vulgar comment about Doncic’s family in Serbian toward the Lakers star guard.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Tensions rose, neighbors said, to the point that King was heard at times swearing at Kirsten Wells as well as others using vulgar epithets.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clownish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clownish. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
