buffoon

[ buh-foon ]

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.

buffoon

/ bəˈfuːn /

noun

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

Derived Forms

• bufˈfoonery, noun

Other Words From

• buf·foon·er·y [b, uh, -, foo, -n, uh, -ree], noun
• buf·foon·ish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of buffoon¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of buffoon¹

C16: from French bouffon , from Italian buffone , from Medieval Latin būfō , from Latin: toad

Example Sentences

MPD detective Yari Babich had been assigned to the case, but Fanone learned Babich had posted a bunch of nasty comments on social media about Fanone’s media tour—calling him an egomaniac, a celebrity wannabe, unprofessional, a buffoon.

From Time

He is the lead character — and he’s reduced himself to this buffoon in the bathtub!

From Washington Post

Ben Affleck can be an adequately chisel-jawed buffoon in spandex.

From The Daily Beast

Apparently, he was known in the Foreign Office as "HBH"—His Buffoon Highness.

From The Daily Beast

She chortled that Dubya was affable but a policy buffoon; she actually liked him personally, but hated his politics.

From The Daily Beast

He objects to seeing customers portrayed as "these sad, pathetic buffoon wretches."

From The Daily Beast

That messy hair of his that I always thought was buffoon hair was buffoon hair hiding a monster cock.

From The Daily Beast

He belongs to the buffoon class, and is distinguished by his mandoline and ballad-singing.

From Project Gutenberg

Figure to yourself this eager little chap: high-keyed, timid, fervid: something of a buffoon, always a victim of his perceptions.

From Project Gutenberg

In short, he entirely sacrificed every appearance of the warrior to the masquerade of a buffoon.

From Project Gutenberg

In an instant the man who had been masquerading as a buffoon was again the commanding officer, stern and alert.

From Project Gutenberg

In the social display of wit and humour, there is a marked mean between the buffoon and the dullard or prig.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• clown