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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

buffoon en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Middle French bouffon, from Italian buffone (“jester”), from buffare (“to puff out the cheeks”), of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Middle High German buffen ("to puff"; > German büffen), Old English pyffan (“to breathe out, blow with the mouth”). More at English puff.

Meanings

  1. One who performs in a silly or ridiculous fashion; a clown or fool.
    • To divert the audience with buffoon postures and antic dances. 1810, W. Melmoth, transl., Letters of Pliny:
  2. (derogatory) An unintentionally ridiculous person.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
buffoons Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

buffoonish · buffoonry · buffoonesque · buffoonly · buffoonlike · buffonize · buffoonism · buffoonic · buffoonery

Descendants

bafuňář

Translations (66)

fi mäntti (unintentionally ridiculous person) · pdt Noa (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · de Kasper (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · fi narri (unintentionally ridiculous person) · es bufón (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · cs šašek (unintentionally ridiculous person) · fi ilveilijä (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · bg шут (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · izh petruška (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ru буффо́н (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ga drúth (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · fr bouffon (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ga miodhlach (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · nl sufferd (unintentionally ridiculous person) · de Hanswurst (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · gl bufón (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ga abhlóir (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ru скоморо́х (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · fi pelle (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · sv fjant (unintentionally ridiculous person) · fi narri (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · sv pajas (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · mi heahea (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · cs klaun (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · be бла́зан (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · bg паля́чо (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · de Närrin (unintentionally ridiculous person) · hu ripacs (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · pl błazen (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · sv pajas (unintentionally ridiculous person) · ru шут (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ur مَسْخَرا (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · uk кло́ун (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · fa-ira مَسْخَرِه (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · nl clown (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ga óinmhid (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ar مُهَرِّج (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · mk шут (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · it pagliaccio (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ota میمون (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · hu pojáca (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · hi भाँड (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · de Narr (unintentionally ridiculous person) · mk палја́чо (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · eo bufono (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ru пая́ц (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · fa-ira شوت (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ur مَسْخَرَہ (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · uk бла́зень (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · cs kašpar (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · scn buffuni (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · cmn 小丑 (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ga fuirseoir (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · pl pajac (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · pt palhaço (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ro bufon (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · pt bufão (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · cs šašek (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · gl alvardán (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · cs kašpar (unintentionally ridiculous person) · cmn 活寶 /活宝 (unintentionally ridiculous person) · ur بھانْڈ (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · hi मसख़रा (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · it buffone (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · grc γελωτοποιός (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion) · ru фигля́р (one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion)

buffoon en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Middle French bouffon, from Italian buffone (“jester”), from buffare (“to puff out the cheeks”), of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Middle High German buffen ("to puff"; > German büffen), Old English pyffan (“to breathe out, blow with the mouth”). More at English puff.

Meanings

  1. To behave like a buffoon
    • His mimicry of gay speech and facial expressions is analogous to an Amos 'n' Andy routine, in which white men buffooned their way through incredibly demeaning impersonations of black men. 1988 January 22, Henry Sheehan, “Little Boy Blue”, in Chicago Reader:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
buffooning Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
buffoons Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
buffooned Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
buffooned Tense=Past lexicographic

Translations (6)

fi pelleillä (to behave like buffoon) · de kaspern (to behave like buffoon) · mk се глупи́ра (to behave like buffoon) · mk се ше́гува (to behave like buffoon) · de herumkaspern (to behave like buffoon) · fi ilveillä (to behave like buffoon)