buffoonery

noun

buf·​foon·​ery (ˌ)bə-ˈfü-nə-rē 

-ˈfün-rē

plural buffooneries

: foolish or playful behavior or practice

Synonyms of buffoonery

• clowning
• joking
• tomfoolery
• clownery
• funning
• horseplay
• foolery
• monkeying
• slapstick
• playfulness
• skylarking
• roughhousing
• monkey business
• high jinks
• silliness

Examples of buffoonery in a Sentence

their madcap buffoonery turned the duo into the nation's hottest comedy act

Recent Examples on the Web

Death by Lightning, adapted by Mike Makowsky from Candice Millard’s 2011 nonfiction book and directed by Matt Ross, hums with the strength of these performances, particularly Shannon’s quiet composure and Macfadyen mining new depths of buffoonery. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

Scholz-Carlson’s staging pushes against the deep misogyny of Da Ponte’s libretto by accentuating the buffoonery of the two male romantic leads. —Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 2 Nov. 2025

Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement. —Time, 30 Oct. 2025

Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded. —Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

buffoonery

noun

buf·​foon·​ery (ˌ)bə-ˈfün-(ə-)rē 

plural buffoonerries

: foolish or playful behavior