buffoon
gb/bəfˈun/ us/bəfˈun/
C1
Inglês
Acepções
0 acepção
Substantivo
informal
C1
role
1
a ridiculous, foolish person
A buffoon is a person who acts very foolishly and looks silly.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] is a buffoon; treat [someone] like a buffoon
Erro comum:
Often confused with a neutral word for a comedian; in modern use it is usually an insult.
Sinônimos
fool (More general and often less sharp.)
|
clown (Emphasizes silly behavior; can also be playful.)
|
idiot (Stronger insult focused on lack of intelligence.)
|
jerk (Focuses more on rudeness than on silliness.)
Antônimos
sage (Someone known for wisdom and good judgment.)
|
professional (Someone who behaves competently and appropriately.)
Colocações
a complete buffoon
|an absolute buffoon
|a pompous buffoon
|a self-important buffoon
|an arrogant buffoon
|a clumsy buffoon
|a political buffoon
|a drunken buffoon
|act like a buffoon
|look like a buffoon
Temas
people
|behavior
|humor
|insults
Exemplos
- He strutted into the meeting making loud jokes and came off as a buffoon.
- The article portrays the senator as a dangerous buffoon who shouldn’t be taken seriously.
- Stop shouting over everyone—you’re making yourself look like a buffoon.
Exemplos para estudantes
- Don’t be a buffoon in class.
- He acted like a buffoon at the party.
Substantivo
literary
C2
role
2
a clown-like comic performer
A buffoon can also mean a performer who makes people laugh by acting like a clown.
Padrão de uso:
a buffoon in [a play/show]
Erro comum:
This sense is less common in everyday English than the insulting sense.
Sinônimos
clown (More common modern term; not necessarily insulting.)
|
jester (Often suggests a historical court entertainer.)
|
comedian (Neutral term; doesn’t imply crude clowning.)
Antônimos
tragedian (A performer associated with serious drama rather than comedy.)
Colocações
a stage buffoon
|a comic buffoon
|a bawdy buffoon
|a theatrical buffoon
|a wandering buffoon
|a hired buffoon
Temas
arts
|theater
|humor
Exemplos
- In the old comedy, the buffoon steals every scene with exaggerated gestures.
- The troupe hired a buffoon to keep the audience laughing between acts.
Exemplos para estudantes
- The buffoon in the play made the children laugh.
Gramática
Forma no dicionário
buffoon
AFI
GB/bəfˈun/
US/bəfˈun/
Sílabas e tonicidade
buf - foon (2 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (foon)
Formas da palavra
Noun
- Base: buffoon
- Plural: buffoons
Família de palavras
Expressões
act the buffoon
1/ˈækt ðə bəfˈun/
idiom
informal
act like a clown
To act the buffoon means to behave very foolishly.
Exemplos
- He acted the buffoon during the ceremony, and people were embarrassed for him.
- She can be serious when she wants to, but she often acts the buffoon at parties.
court buffoon
1/kˈɔɹt bəfˈun/
fixed phrase
literary
entertainer kept by a ruler
A court buffoon is a person whose job is to entertain a king or ruler.
Exemplos
- In the novel, the court buffoon is the only one who can mock the king without punishment.
- Critics called him a court buffoon, always ready with a joke to please those in power.
make a buffoon of yourself
1/mˈeɪk ə bəfˈun əv jʊɹsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
informal
make yourself look ridiculous
To make a buffoon of yourself means to do something that makes you look very silly.
Exemplos
- Don’t argue with the referee—you’ll only make a buffoon of yourself.
- He made a buffoon of himself by bragging about things everyone knew were false.
play the buffoon
1/plˈeɪ ðə bəfˈun/
idiom
informal
behave in a silly way
To play the buffoon means to act silly like a clown.
Exemplos
- He plays the buffoon to hide how nervous he is.
- If you keep playing the buffoon, no one will trust you with serious work.