clownish

adjective

clown·​ish ˈklau̇-nish 

: resembling or befitting a clown (as in ignorance and lack of sophistication)

clownishly adverb

clownishness noun

Synonyms

• boorish
• churlish
• classless
• cloddish
• loutish
• uncouth

Choose the Right Synonym for clownish

boorish, churlish, loutish, clownish mean uncouth in manners or appearance.

boorish implies rudeness of manner due to insensitiveness to others' feelings and unwillingness to be agreeable.

a drunk's boorish behavior

churlish suggests surliness, unresponsiveness, and ungraciousness.

churlish remarks

loutish implies bodily awkwardness together with stupidity.

a loutish oaf

clownish suggests ill-bred awkwardness, ignorance or stupidity, ungainliness, and often a propensity for absurd antics.

an adolescent's clownish conduct

Examples of clownish in a Sentence

the clownish antics of some of the teenagers at the wedding reception

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Characters like Felix and Oswald have kind of an unfortunate connection to theater insofar as they’re associated with blackface minstrelsy—the notoriously racist form of stage performance where actors would blacken their faces, wear white gloves, and perform clownish antics. —Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 9 Oct. 2024

If the silly Elm Street sequels turned Freddy into a clownish figure, then his metaphysical inspiration will emerge darker and crueler than could be imagined on the safety of a film set. —Rory Doherty, Vulture, 28 June 2024

Everyone wants to see this clownish, larger-than-life villain. —Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above