French word

clown

Pronunciation

IPA/klun/

Meaning

  • masculine nounclown

Example

Le clown a fait rire les enfants.

The clown made the children laugh.

Illustration for clown (clown)

More examples

Ne fais pas le clown maintenant.

Don't clown around now.

Core concept

A person who turns ordinary behavior into an exaggerated comic act for an audience, either professionally or playfully.

Common phrases

  • faire le clown

    clown around

  • être un clown

    be a clown

Similar words

comédien: A performer who acts in roles on stage or in films.
acteur: A performer who acts in roles in films or on television.
humoriste: A performer who entertains audiences with comic stories or solo routines.

Definition in French

Personne qui adopte un comportement exagéré et comique, professionnellement ou pour plaisanter, afin de divertir un public.

Word origin

French clown was borrowed from English in the nineteenth century, and the English term grew from an older word for a clumsy or rustic person.

Usage tips

  • Calling someone un clown or saying faire le clown can sound insulting, so the expression depends strongly on friendly or clearly playful context.

Other meanings

  • jokernoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word