DEFINITIONS
The
2019 WORD
OF THE YEAR is...

buffoon

[ buh-foon ]
/ bəˈfun /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR buffoon ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who amuses others by tricks, jokes, odd gestures and postures, etc.
a person given to coarse or undignified joking.

Content related to buffoon

8 Theatrical Terms For The StageEight terms about theater any audience member would want to know.
READ MORE
The Most Surprisingly Serendipitous Words Of The DayIn Part II of our lexical stroll down memory lane (see Part I (1999–2008) here), we will be examining word selections from 2009–2018, unearthing serendipitous synchronicities and offering perspicacious perspectives into notable events and trends of the last decade.
READ MORE

Words related to buffoon

clown, fool, harlequin, jester, joker, wag, zany, antic, comedian, comic, bozo, droll, merry-andrew

Words nearby buffoon

buffeting, buffett, bufflehead, buffo, buffon, buffoon, buffs, buffy, buffy coat, bufotalin, bufotenine

Origin of buffoon

1540–50; earlier buffon < French < Italian buffone, equivalent to buff- (expressive base; compare buffa puff of breath, buffare to puff, puff up one's checks) + -one agent suffix ≪ Latin -ō, accusative -ōnem

OTHER WORDS FROM buffoon

buf·foon·er·y [buh-foo-nuh-ree] /bəˈfu nə ri/, nounbuf·foon·ish, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for buffoon

British Dictionary definitions for buffoon

buffoon
/ (bəˈfuːn) /

noun

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

Derived forms of buffoon

buffoonery, noun

Word Origin for buffoon

C16: from French bouffon, from Italian buffone, from Medieval Latin būfō, from Latin: toad
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012