SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

clownery

noun clown·ery \ ˈklau̇-nə-rē \

Definition of clownery

plural clowneries

:clownish behavior or an instance of clownishness :buffoonery

Examples of clownery in a Sentence

it was clownery like that that resulted in an expensive vase being broken

First Known Use of clownery

1589

clownery Synonyms

Synonyms

buffoonery, horseplay, clowning, foolery, high jinks (also hijinks), horsing around, monkey business, monkeying, monkeyshine (s), roughhouse, roughhousing, shenanigan (s), skylarking, slapstick, tomfoolery

Related Words

childishness, clownishness, foolishness, funning, jesting, joking, nonsense, silliness, waggery; boisterousness, rambunctiousness, rowdiness, rowdyism, rumbustiousness [chiefly British]; devilry (or deviltry), impishness, knavery, mischief, mischievousness, prankishness, rascality, roguery, roguishness, trickery; cavorting, frivolity, frolicking, gamboling (or gambolling), merrymaking, playfulness, revelry, roistering, romping, sporting, sportiveness

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for clownery

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Examples: clownery in a Sentence