plural clowns
1
: someone who performs in a circus, who wears funny clothes and makeup, and who tries to make people laugh
a circus clown
Those big shoes make you look like a clown!
a rodeo clown [=a person in a rodeo who dresses like a circus clown]
—sometimes used before another nounShe came dressed in a clown suit/costume.
a big red clown nose
2
: someone who often does funny things to make people laugh
His classmates remember him as the class clown. [=a student who tried to make other students laugh]
He was always playing the clown. [=trying to make people laugh]
3
informal
: a rude or stupid person
Who's the clown standing in the middle of the road?
those clowns at the state capital
clowns; clowned; clowning
: to act like a clown : to say funny things or act in a silly way
—often + around
Stop clowning around. We've got work to do.
Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/clown. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
