as in boorish
having or showing crudely insensitive or impolite manners
the clownish antics of some of the teenagers at the wedding reception
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clownish
Before news of the repression broke, many Western media stories about Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov portrayed him as a clownish dictator obsessed with his Instagram account.
—
Layla Taimienova, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2017
Over the coming days, the owners of Four Seasons Total Landscaping did their patriotic duty and cashed in on their temporary notoriety, selling souvenirs to commemorate the fiasco; to Trump’s detractors, the debacle epitomized the clownish incompetence that had defined his presidency.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Characters like Felix and Oswald have kind of an unfortunate connection to theater insofar as they’re associated with blackface minstrelsy—the notoriously racist form of stage performance where actors would blacken their faces, wear white gloves, and perform clownish antics.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 9 Oct. 2024
If the silly Elm Street sequels turned Freddy into a clownish figure, then his metaphysical inspiration will emerge darker and crueler than could be imagined on the safety of a film set.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 28 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for clownish
Layla Taimienova, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2017
Over the coming days, the owners of Four Seasons Total Landscaping did their patriotic duty and cashed in on their temporary notoriety, selling souvenirs to commemorate the fiasco; to Trump’s detractors, the debacle epitomized the clownish incompetence that had defined his presidency.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Characters like Felix and Oswald have kind of an unfortunate connection to theater insofar as they’re associated with blackface minstrelsy—the notoriously racist form of stage performance where actors would blacken their faces, wear white gloves, and perform clownish antics.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 9 Oct. 2024
If the silly Elm Street sequels turned Freddy into a clownish figure, then his metaphysical inspiration will emerge darker and crueler than could be imagined on the safety of a film set.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 28 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for clownish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clownish
Adjective
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He's outgrown being shown any leniency or 'given a second chance' with such arrogant, boorish behavior.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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But some of it is just too clumsy, in particular any scene with the boorish Scott (Patrick Wilson), Eve’s alcoholic music producer hubby.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That would have been a stupid question just about anywhere else, but the exhibition was by Laura Owens, a painter with a penchant for trickery, and the venue was Matthew Marks Gallery in New York, whose press release for Owens’s latest outing offered little in the way of explanation.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
24 Feb. 2025
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Thank you Hallie for thinking of me and putting my name in your stupid brother's ear.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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To even suggest that not all societies wanted peace was seen as vulgar and uncouth.—
Uri Kurlianchik,
National Review,
25 Feb. 2025
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Generally speaking, northern clubs were work teams that fielded working-class players, while southern clubs were affiliated with famous schools and featured young gentlemen who would not dream of doing something as uncouth as taking payment for playing a game.—
Matt Slater,
The Athletic,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even Lochlan and Piper, who think of themselves as more enlightened than their loutish brother and materialistic parents, have a lot of Victoria in them.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
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Every great festival lineup needs an eccentric art-pop groundbreaker and some loutish guys who write anthems.—
Al Shipley,
Vulture,
6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Communism, on the other hand, advocates for a classless society where all property is communally owned.—
H. Sami Karaca,
The Conversation,
13 Jan. 2025
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Their classless behavior is almost unbelievable at times.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2024
Adjective
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Some might consider this observation churlish when her biggest rival, ITV, was criticized for abandoning the playing field on Christmas Day after scheduling a parade of repeats.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2025
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The British series, which debuted in 2022, follows Oscar winner Gary Oldman’s churlish and disheveled Jackson Lamb as the leader of a team of disgraced and disowned MI5 agents scrappily and shabbily getting the job done.—
Trey Williams,
The Hollywood Reporter,
9 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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However, these arrangements were not mere shakedowns; they were anchored in strategic diplomacy and geopolitical calculus, rather than vulgar profiteering.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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Her Facebook and email had been flooded with vulgar, inflammatory responses.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to clownish
Cite this Entry
“Clownish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clownish. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.
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