1
: farmer, countryman
2
: a rude ill-bred person : boor
3
a
: a fool, jester, or comedian in an entertainment (such as a play)
specifically
: a grotesquely dressed comedy performer in a circus
b
: a person who habitually jokes and plays the buffoon
c
clowned; clowning; clowns
: to act as or like a clown
always clowning around
Examples of clown in a Sentence
Noun
Those big shoes make you look like a clown!
Who's the clown standing in the middle of the road?
those clowns at the state capital
Verb
as a youngster he was always clowning around in the classroom
Recent Examples on the Web
Lucas Schaefer
june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
As the animals fought, brass bands played and clowns entertained.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2025
And as the AMAs proved to be fruitless in terms of any Swift news, fans will just have to keep clowning.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Among the players connected to the disappearance are a wide and varied cast of Austin characters: an up-and-coming boxer who crossed the border from Mexico under strange circumstances, a rookie cop determined to crack the case, a grifter clown (figurative and literal).
—Lucas Schaefer
june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
As the animals fought, brass bands played and clowns entertained.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Verb
But these days the two are such close friends that they were seen clowning around Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium during the Royals-Yankees game.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2025
And as the AMAs proved to be fruitless in terms of any Swift news, fans will just have to keep clowning.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clown. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clown
1 of 2 noun1
: a rude and often stupid person
2
: a performer (as in a play or circus) who usually wears funny clothes and makeup and tries to make people laugh
clownish
adjective
ˈklau̇-nish
clownishly
adverb
clownishness
noun
clown
2 of 2 verb
: to act like a clown
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