buffoon

noun

buf·​foon (ˌ)bə-ˈfün How to pronounce buffoon (audio)
1
: a ludicrous figure : clown
2
: a gross and usually ill-educated or stupid person
acting like a ridiculous buffoon
buffoonish adjective

Examples of buffoon in a Sentence

Stop acting like a buffoon. the children at the birthday party giggled at the buffoon's silly tricks
Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, countries across the world are again suffering an onslaught of demagogues, many of them preening buffoons who have recast themselves as visionary strongmen—much as D’Annunzio did. Pankaj Mishra, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2016 Even if the author wrote in paragraph-length, punctuation-free sentences of Biblical prose, and the filmmakers prefer to express themselves through rambling conversations between cinematic buffoons, their work is bound together by an exacting consideration to every word. Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024 All of the buffoons excited by the prospect of AI taking over all our writing — report summaries, data surveys, children’s letters, all tossed into the same pile indiscriminately — are missing the point in a spectacular manner. Alexandra Petri, Washington Post, 31 July 2024 So, our bandage-on-ear buffoon continues to prove how prophetic the quote proves to be. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for buffoon 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buffoon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French bouffon, from Old Italian buffone

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of buffoon was in 1584

Dictionary Entries Near buffoon

Cite this Entry

“Buffoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buffoon. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

buffoon

noun
buf·​foon (ˌ)bə-ˈfün How to pronounce buffoon (audio)
1
2
: a crude or stupid person

More from Merriam-Webster on buffoon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!