buffoon

American  

[buh-foon] / bəˈfun /

noun

1. a person who amuses others by tricks, jokes, odd gestures and postures, etc.

   Synonyms:

   fool, clown, jester

2. a person given to coarse or undignified joking.

   Synonyms:

   boor

3. a silly or foolish person.

   He has been shown to be a pompous, incompetent buffoon.

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buffoon British  

/ bəˈfuːn /

noun

1. a person who amuses others by ridiculous or odd behaviour, jokes, etc

2. a foolish person

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• buffoonery
  noun
• buffoonish
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of buffoon

First recorded in 1540–50; earlier buffon, from French, from Italian buffone, equivalent to buff- (expressive form; compare buffa “puff of breath,” buffare “to puff, puff up one's cheeks”) + -one agent suffix, ultimately from Latin -ōnem, accusative of nominative noun suffix -ō

Explanation

A buffoon is someone whose ridiculous behavior is a source of amusement to others. People you might call a buffoon are a political rival or the guy at work who tells silly jokes at office parties. The noun buffoon has changed its spelling over the years, but not really its meaning. In Middle French, it was bouffon, which came from the Italian buffone, meaning "jester." The original root is the Latin buffare. Think of the stereotypical court jester, the person who makes jokes and falls about trying to make the king laugh — he's paid to be a buffoon.

Related Words

• clown