clown
n. · v.-
1 circus performer (n.) A2 Elementary Theatrea performer who wears funny clothes and face paint to make people laugh, usually in a circus.
a comic entertainer, especially in a circus, who wears a traditional costume and exaggerated make-up to perform slapstick comedy.
ExampleThe children laughed when the clown with the big red nose tripped over his own shoes.
ExampleThe circus featured a classic routine where ten clowns emerged from a tiny car to the delight of the audience.
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2 silly person (n.) B1 Intermediate Informalsomeone who acts in a silly way or makes a lot of jokes to get attention.
a person who habitually behaves in a foolish or playful way, often to amuse others.
ExampleStop being such a clown and help me finish this serious project.
ExampleEvery office has a resident clown who uses humour to deflect from the stress of quarterly deadlines.
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3 rude or clumsy person (n.) C2 Proficiency Archaic Literarya person who is rude, clumsy, or has no manners.
a person of coarse manners or awkward behaviour; historically used for a rustic or ill-bred individual.
ExampleThe old book described the villain as a rude clown who knew nothing of city life.
ExampleIn the Shakespearean sense, the character is less a circus performer and more a country clown whose lack of social grace provides the comedy.
- boor
- yokel
- churl
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4 to act silly (v.) B1 Intermediate Informalto behave in a silly or playful way to make people laugh.
to behave in a comical or foolish manner, often as a form of play or distraction.
ExampleThe students were clowning around in the back of the classroom instead of studying.
ExampleThe athletes were seen clowning around during the warm-up, showing little of the focus expected for a championship final.
UsageOften used with the particle 'around'.
- fool around
- jest
From earlier clowne, cloyne (“man of rustic or coarse manners, boor, peasant”); likely of North Germanic origin, akin to Icelandic klunni (“clumsy fellow, klutz”), Swedish kluns (“clumsy fellow”), all from Middle Low German klunz, from klunt (“pile, lump, something thick”); according to Pokorny, this could be related to a group of Germanic derivatives of Proto-Indo-European gel- (“to ball up; amass”), such as Proto-West Germanic klott (“lump”), Proto-Germanic klūtaz (“clod, lump”), kultaz (“lump, bundle”), etc. Alternatively, directly from Low German (compare North Frisian klönne (“clumsy fellow, klutz”), Dutch kluns (“clumsy fellow, klutz”), Dutch kloen (“uncouth person, lout”)), themselves from the same ultimate source as above. Unlikely from Latin colōnus (“colonist, farmer”), although learned awareness of this term may have influenced semantic development.