clownish

adjective

clown·​ish ˈklau̇-nish 

: resembling or befitting a clown (as in ignorance and lack of sophistication)

clownishly adverb

clownishness noun

Synonyms

• boorish
• churlish
• classless
• cloddish
• loutish
• uncouth

Choose the Right Synonym for clownish

boorish, churlish, loutish, clownish mean uncouth in manners or appearance.

boorish implies rudeness of manner due to insensitiveness to others' feelings and unwillingness to be agreeable.

a drunk's boorish behavior

churlish suggests surliness, unresponsiveness, and ungraciousness.

churlish remarks

loutish implies bodily awkwardness together with stupidity.

a loutish oaf

clownish suggests ill-bred awkwardness, ignorance or stupidity, ungainliness, and often a propensity for absurd antics.

an adolescent's clownish conduct

Examples of clownish in a Sentence

the clownish antics of some of the teenagers at the wedding reception

Recent Examples on the Web

The suit also paints a clownish portrait of the entrepreneur, portraying him as pompous, shameless, and untrustworthy. —Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025

But Victor leans less into clownish mortification than her predecessors, making room instead for a delicate quietude and sincerity. —Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

Redheads often fielded comments related to having a hot temper, being clownish, weirdness, Irishness, not capable of being in the sun, being wild (among women), wimpy (among men), and intellectually superior. —David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025

As vice-president, Kamala Harris was generally regarded as unimpressive and slightly clownish, with her banal repetitions and too-frequent outbursts of too-exuberant laughter. —Avi Nelson, Boston Herald, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for clownish

• brownish