clown around
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to behave in a silly or funny way to make people laugh.
phrasal verb. to engage in frivolous or playful behavior, often for the purpose of amusement or to avoid serious tasks.
Stop clowning around and finish your homework.
The kids were clowning around in the back of the car during the long drive.
While the manager was away, the junior staff spent the afternoon clowning around instead of preparing the quarterly reports.
often used as an imperative to tell someone to be serious.
the verb is derived from the noun 'clown'; it carries a slightly more negative or dismissive tone than 'playing' when used by an authority figure.
He was clowning about the room.He was clowning around the room.while 'clown about' is also used, 'clown around' is the more common fixed phrasal verb form in many dialects.
Last updated April 24, 2026