Synonyms

buffoonery

American

[buh-foo-nuh-ree] / bəˈfu nə ri /

noun

amusement by means of usually physical or visual tricks, jokes, etc..

The play swings from absurd buffoonery to high tragedy, with kinetic physicality, silliness, swords, and live music.
coarse or undignified joking.

The managers perceived my buffoonery as a barely concealed way of calling them pretentious—and they weren’t altogether wrong.
silly, foolish, or unseemly behavior.

It’s hard to top the current governor's race if you like your politics laced with outrageous buffoonery.

Etymology

Origin of buffoonery

buffoon ( def. ) + -ery ( def. )

Explanation

If someone tells you to cut out the buffoonery, you may want to consider taking the French fries out of your nostrils. Buffoonery means acting like a clown. Notice how buffoon sounds like puff? Well, they're related. Buffare is an Italian word meaning "puff out the cheeks," which is apparently something that Italian court jesters, or buffoons, liked to do in the 1700s. Guess you had to be there.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Scenes like that don’t strike fear in anyone; they just expose the buffoonery behind the bravura.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2025

His mixture of insult, ressentiment, and buffoonery is a work of genius.

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2025

“The notion that Cromitie was selected as a ‘leader’ by the co-defendants is inconceivable, given his well-documented buffoonery and ineptitude,” she wrote.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2024

All told, the 60-page document features plenty of conspiracy and buffoonery both.

From Slate • Jul. 27, 2023

The Lord Mayor's Day of the old style of buffoonery is dead.

From England by Fox, Frank, Sir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023