n. 1 jester, fool, zany, comic, comedian, funny man Of all the performers at the circus, I like the clowns best 2 buffoon, boor, rustic, yahoo, oaf, lout, clod, dolt, bumpkin, clodhopper, provincial, peasant, yokel, Colloq lummox; Slang chiefly US jerk; Old-fashioned galoot or galloot; Slang chiefly US and Canadian hick That's the kind of language we expect to hear only from the most ignorant clowns
v. 3 Often, clown around or about. fool (around), play the fool, horse around or about, caper, cut a caper or capers, engage in high jinks or hijinks, US cut up, cut didos Stop clowning around with that hose and help water the garden