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
Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 22 July 2025
Visitors can take part in the action at the on-site museum where 700 pieces of clown memorabilia are displayed in every nook and cranny, some even suspended from the ceiling.
—Rebecca Deurlein, Southern Living, 22 July 2025
Rebecca Deurlein, Southern Living, 22 July 2025
All of a sudden, now everybody's clowning around and no work is getting done.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
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Noun
Pepe the Frog became political, then hate symbol, during 2016 election
The frog doodle in clown accessories that flashes in the video is known as Pepe the Frog, and its appearance in Trump's social media posts has sparked interest before.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 22 July 2025
Visitors can take part in the action at the on-site museum where 700 pieces of clown memorabilia are displayed in every nook and cranny, some even suspended from the ceiling.
—Rebecca Deurlein, Southern Living, 22 July 2025
Verb
That’s thanks to Toby’s Clown School, where people come from all over the world to train in the art of clowning.
—Rebecca Deurlein, Southern Living, 22 July 2025
All of a sudden, now everybody's clowning around and no work is getting done.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 June 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 1 Aug. 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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