clown

American  

[kloun] / klaʊn /

noun

• clowns
  plural

1. a comic performer, as in a circus, theatrical production, or the like, who wears an outlandish costume and makeup and entertains by pantomiming common situations or actions in exaggerated or ridiculous fashion, by juggling or tumbling, etc.

2. a person who acts like a clown; comedian; joker; buffoon; jester.

3. a prankster; a practical joker.

   Synonyms:

   churl, lout

4. Slang. a coarse, ill-bred person; a boor.

   Synonyms:

   bumpkin

5. a peasant; rustic.

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verb (used without object)

• clowns,
  present (3rd person singular)
• clowned,
  past participle,  past
• clowning
  present participle

1. to act like a clown.

clown British  

/ klaʊn /

noun

1. a comic entertainer, usually grotesquely costumed and made up, appearing in the circus

2. any performer who elicits an amused response

3. someone who plays jokes or tricks

4. a person who acts in a comic or buffoon-like manner

5. a coarse clumsy rude person; boor

6. archaic a countryman or rustic

---

verb

1. to perform as a clown

2. to play jokes or tricks

3. to act foolishly

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• clownery
  noun
• clownishness
  noun
• clownish
  adjective
• clownishly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clowns
  plural

Participles

• clowning
  present
• clowned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• clown
  simple
• clowns
  simple
• have clowned
  perfect
• has clowned
  perfect
• am clowning
  progressive
• are clowning
  progressive
• is clowning
  progressive
• have been clowning
  perfect progressive
• has been clowning
  perfect progressive

Past

• clowned
  simple
• had clowned
  perfect
• was clowning
  progressive
• were clowning
  progressive
• had been clowning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will clown
  simple
• will have clowned
  perfect
• will be clowning
  progressive
• will have been clowning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of clown

1555–65; earlier cloyne, clowne, perhaps akin to Old Norse klunni boor, Danish dialect klunds, Swedish dialect klunn log

Explanation

A clown is someone who makes people laugh, like the guy with the red nose and oversize polka dotted tie. It can also be an insult — a rude buffoon can be called a clown. To clown means to act goofy. The clowns found at circuses and birthday parties usually wear makeup and big shoes, but funny people in regular clothes are often called clowns, too, as in the class clown who tells jokes in school. Also, someone obnoxious can be called a clown, as in “that clown wrecked my car!” Acting like a clown in any way is clowning. A teacher trying to get the attention of kids who are fooling around might say, "Stop clowning around!”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clown clowns clowned clowning

They include depictions of Manila as a clown and a snake, among other things.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

A clown paints children's faces, music fills the air, as families spread picnic carpets across the grass.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

Most know Morgan as a singular kind of clown who pulls everyone’s focus simply by entering a room.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

They might clown him a little bit, but we need to welcome someone like Tom Steyer,” Fiorentini said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026

Outside the bookstore, a statue of a gnome-like clown guarded the bargain books with a wide smirk.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

For the new movie, he wanted to pay homage to Hollywood’s silent clowns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Say you don’t pay much attention to the nitty-gritty of politics and think they’re all a bunch of clowns.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026

He drank tall glasses of orange juice in seedy dives as he infiltrated an underworld of bank-robbing clowns and bird-obsessed mobsters.

From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2026

Gainer credits his junior-high-school guidance counselor for urging him to apply to Manhattan’s High School of Art and Design, after she saw his portfolio, which included paintings of automobiles and clowns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025

“No. It’s really too late to change the choreography. But never fear. The circuses will be marvelous! Ah...not the modern sort of circus, mind you. That would require clowns, and I hate clowns.”

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

It’s rare to see someone so straightforwardly admit they were clowned.

From Slate ● Mar. 23, 2026

“Strangers clowned us,” former Ambassadors player Victoria Henson told me the other day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

His song Thick Of It, which features Trippie Redd, was nominated for song of the year - despite being something he was "clowned for".

From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2025

Morale seemed high among Granite’s troops this week, as a short-range team clowned around despite being on duty long into the early morning hours as Kyiv’s air defenses took down 35 explosive Iranian-made Shahed drones.

From Seattle Times ● May 11, 2023

Boys clowned and made faces trying to make her laugh, but she looked straight ahead and never even cracked a smile.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Comedy and clowning are ways Zaalan has connected with their homeland after the Syrian revolution.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026

But for all that clowning, Mr. Leeke tells us, Luciano was dead serious about keeping the game safe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

But too much clowning around might not look so smart.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2025

The leaders at the summit quickly moved on, but Trump came in for some clowning on social meda.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2025

Guys on the side erupted, laughing and clowning and calling Rondell Mutumbo.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Related Words

• buffoon
• comedian
• comic
• fool
• jester
• mime
• prankster