Spanish Conversation · Level 8
90 words
Spanish word
payaso
Pronunciation
IPA/paˈʝaso/
Meaning
- masculine nounclown
Example
El payaso hizo reír a los niños.
The clown made the children laugh.
More examples
No hagas el payaso en la reunión, por favor.
Please don't play the clown in the meeting.
Core concept
A performer in bright costume and heavy makeup who entertains with physical comedy and jokes.
Common phrases
hacer el payaso
play the clown
el payaso del circo
the circus clown
maquillaje de payaso
clown face paint
Similar words
cómico: Tells jokes and does comic bits aloud, relying on timing and delivery to provoke laughter.
humorista: Writes or performs structured humorous pieces such as sketches, columns, or comic routines.
Definition in Spanish
Persona que hace reír al público mediante gestos, bromas o actos cómicos; también, en lenguaje coloquial, alguien que actúa de forma tonta o ridícula.
Word origin
From Italian pagliaccio (cf. Portuguese palhaço), ultimately from words for 'straw' (Italian paglia, Portuguese palha) that referred to straw-stuffed figures and later to comic performers.
Usage tips
- Used both for the circus role and colloquially for someone acting foolishly; hacer el payaso means to clown around, and calling someone payaso can be insulting.
Other meanings
- jokesternoun
Opposites
- seriedadgravitynoun
- persona seriano-nonsense personnoun
Related words
- payasadabuffoonerynoun
- payasescoclownlikeadjective