as in boorish
having or showing crudely insensitive or impolite manners
the clownish antics of some of the teenagers at the wedding reception
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clownish
Both McAdams and O’Brien move beyond expectations to deliver highly expressive, almost clownish performances — in the best way.
—
Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
All the forces and clownish figures of the moment, from Howard Stern to Al Sharpton, weighed in.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Pratt, who long cultivated a clownish and villainous persona, leveraged his significant social media presence following the fire to refashion himself as an earnest mix of citizen watchdog and populist firebrand.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Switcheroo is all snappy disco, clownish house, and musical sight gags.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clownish
Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
All the forces and clownish figures of the moment, from Howard Stern to Al Sharpton, weighed in.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Pratt, who long cultivated a clownish and villainous persona, leveraged his significant social media presence following the fire to refashion himself as an earnest mix of citizen watchdog and populist firebrand.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Switcheroo is all snappy disco, clownish house, and musical sight gags.
—Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clownish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clownish
Adjective
-
In New York, an inspiring young leftist competed against a boorish, but experienced, former governor to replace a corrupt mayor.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
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There is precedent for TV personalities having to answer for boorish comments made on social media and on television.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And that was so arrogant and stupid on my part.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
At some point, Brandon Aiyuk has to learn that stupid decisions come with consequences.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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And any expression otherwise is so taboo or deemed uncouth, and we aren’t allowed to talk about it in our art and media.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
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Those songs both ended with squalls of noise, hinting at Bash’s interest in more uncouth arrangements.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The nation and the world have long since become accustomed to Trump’s loutish behavior, coarse vocabulary and disrespect for the dignity of his office and America’s reputation.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
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The four leads are overconfident and loutish, spending their time drinking, rambling, and clumsily working through their worries about the future.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some of the reaction to his death was also classless.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Communism, in its traditional definition, describes a system in which private property is abolished and the means of production are collectively owned, with the goal of creating a classless society.—
Cameron Schoppa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
But this churlish little spurt from his players?—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Most of that action is on the Democratic side and the sniping is getting downright churlish as we near the March 17 primary elections.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Apparently some fans were using some vulgar language toward Brunson in Game 1.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
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Doolan also received several emails calling her a vulgar word that typically refers to women.—
Maven Navarro
June 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clownish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clownish. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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