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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clownish
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
Its members' firm repudiation of the unqualified and clownish Matt Gaetz for attorney general shows that its members can still stiffen their sinews and summon up the courage to curb President-elect Donald Trump's appetite for surrounding himself with sycophantic boobs.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
Before news of the repression broke, many Western media stories about Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov portrayed him as a clownish dictator obsessed with his Instagram account.
—Layla Taimienova, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2017
Over the coming days, the owners of Four Seasons Total Landscaping did their patriotic duty and cashed in on their temporary notoriety, selling souvenirs to commemorate the fiasco; to Trump’s detractors, the debacle epitomized the clownish incompetence that had defined his presidency.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for clownish
Avi Nelson, Boston Herald, 30 Oct. 2024
Its members' firm repudiation of the unqualified and clownish Matt Gaetz for attorney general shows that its members can still stiffen their sinews and summon up the courage to curb President-elect Donald Trump's appetite for surrounding himself with sycophantic boobs.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
Before news of the repression broke, many Western media stories about Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov portrayed him as a clownish dictator obsessed with his Instagram account.
—Layla Taimienova, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2017
Over the coming days, the owners of Four Seasons Total Landscaping did their patriotic duty and cashed in on their temporary notoriety, selling souvenirs to commemorate the fiasco; to Trump’s detractors, the debacle epitomized the clownish incompetence that had defined his presidency.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for clownish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clownish
Adjective
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Intention and accidents, theft and boorish behavior: it all gets folded into the myth-serving lore.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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MacFarlane will continue to provide the voice of Ted — a teddy bear brought to life by a boy’s wish, now grown up and bearing the hallmarks of a boorish Seth MacFarlane character.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Not just on the training pitch but in the dorm rooms, talking about the future and giggling at stupid jokes.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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President Donald Trump said only stupid people would refuse a $400 million gift.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Shawn wrestles without any grace here, his normal perfection replaced by him furiously trying to prevent the inevitable passing of the torch moment to Steve Austin, who himself is naturally uncouth in the ring.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
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President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s wheelchair was famously hidden from the public, though his ailment was not necessarily a secret, just considered uncouth to talk about.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This was like loutish English tourists turning up unannounced and urinating in the holy water.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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And Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack in 2013 at age 51, was the show’s tempestuous soul, playing a loutish killer with a quick temper and sad eyes.—
Chris Vognar,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But, for not a single D to stand to applaud a boy's brave battle with cancer, or a man's admission to West Point, was a classless disgrace.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
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Communism, on the other hand, advocates for a classless society where all property is communally owned.—
H. Sami Karaca,
The Conversation,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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An office that demands wisdom and restraint is now debased with churlish impulsivity, rambling incoherency and overt grift.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2025
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Marty, meanwhile, hollow-eyed and churlish about straying from their objective, seems haunted with guilt after a recent stint in jail for setting a building on fire.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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In that sense, the vulgar Vader situation creates a touchy dilemma for Epic Games and Disney, which likely invested substantially in this high-profile collaboration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 May 2025
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Amid the attention, the new pontiff's eldest brother has drawn scrutiny for social media posts praising Trump and using inflammatory, vulgar rhetoric toward Democrats and transgender people.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clownish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clownish. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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