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
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
The sheriff threatens to arrest Morticia on account of aiding and abetting a murderer, but Gomez points out that these clowns (the cops) abandoned Nevermore to protect Normies at Pilgrim World.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
Taylor Swift used her latest moment behind a mic to clown football fans who complain when the camera cuts to her during games.
—William Earl, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
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Noun
The highlight of the maze was the children’s bedroom scene with moving furniture and a maniacal clown sliding out from underneath the bed.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
The sheriff threatens to arrest Morticia on account of aiding and abetting a murderer, but Gomez points out that these clowns (the cops) abandoned Nevermore to protect Normies at Pilgrim World.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
The pie shoved in Anthony’s face by his lover, Giuseppe, felt like a neat distillation of how crudely the series seemed to clown its characters, week after week after week.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
Taylor Swift used her latest moment behind a mic to clown football fans who complain when the camera cuts to her during games.
—William Earl, Variety, 13 Aug. 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 10 Sep. 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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