to clown

Examples

• All

• Two young cowboys were in there, clowning around while they loaded wet clothes into one of the dryers.

  Fiction book (1998)

• The children were clowning around in the backyard, making each other laugh.

• You know we gonna clown you when you get there right?

  Trois (2000)

• You trying to clown me?

  The Big Hit (1998)

• I can clown pretty good now.

  The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

• Ah, you gotta clown on Broadway.

  Singin' in the Rain (1952)

• Why can't this student stop clowning around in class?

  Fiction book (2002)

• Today, White continues to clown at children's hospitals and orphanages all over the world.

  Blog text (1)

• Stop clowning around.

  Hollow Man (2000)

• Whenever they get together, they start clowning and joking until everyone is in stitches.

Synonyms

C

to clown around

vsto clown

• Informal

9 4.8

To act silly and playful to make people laugh

aims more at entertaining others rather than mere foolish play

P

to play the Merry Andrew

vsto clown

• Archaic

9.9

Act in a silly way like a clown to make people laugh

is more general playful behaviour rather than focused performance for others

Phrasal Verbs

C

to clown around

• Informal

9 4.8

To act silly and playful to make people laugh

Compounds

C

class clown

• Informal

9 3.4

A student who makes classmates laugh by acting silly in class

C

clown show

• Offensive

1 7.0

A very messy and badly organized event or situation

C

clown shoe

1 4.6

A very large shoe worn by clowns to look funny

C

clown anemone fish

7.9

A small bright orange fish with white stripes that lives among sea anemones for protection

C

clown prince

7.1

A person who is the funniest and most playful member of a group

C

clown-car primary

• Offensive

9.9

An election with too many messy candidates that makes it hard to pick one

How Silly

to horse around

• Informal

7 6.3

to fool around

• Informal

46 3.6

to clown

• Informal

37 3.0

to joke

476 1.0

to kid

• Informal

∞ 3.5

Surface Forms

Etymology