clown

[[t]kla͟ʊn[/t]]

clowns, clowning, clowned

1) N-COUNT A clown is a performer in a circus who wears funny clothes and bright make-up, and does silly things in order to make people laugh.

2) VERB If you clown, you do silly things in order to make people laugh.

He clowned with John Belushi and Bill Murray in National Lampoon shows.

Syn:

mess around

Derived words:

clowning N-UNCOUNT

She senses that behind the clowning there is a terrible sense of anguish.

PHRASAL VERB

Clown around and clown about mean the same as clown.

V P Bev made her laugh, the way she was always clowning around.

3) N-COUNT If you say that someone is a clown, you mean that they say funny things or do silly things to amuse people.

He was laughing, the clown of the twosome, there always is one.

Syn:

joker

4) N-COUNT (disapproval) If you describe someone as a clown, you disapprove of them and have no respect for them. [INFORMAL]

I still think I could do a better job than those clowns in Washington.

Syn:

idiot, fool