clownish
adjective
clown·ish
ˈklau̇-nish 
: resembling or befitting a clown (as in ignorance and lack of sophistication)
clownishly
adverb
clownishness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of clownish in a Sentence
the clownish antics of some of the teenagers at the wedding reception
Recent Examples on the Web
Before news of the repression broke, many Western media stories about Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov portrayed him as a clownish dictator obsessed with his Instagram account.
—
Layla Taimienova, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2017
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
See all Example Sentences for clownish 
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Layla Taimienova, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2017
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
See all Example Sentences for clownish
Articles Related to clownish
Dictionary Entries Near clownish
Cite this Entry
“Clownish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clownish. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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