buffoon

/bəˈfuːn/ (bre, ipa) · [bəfˈun] /bəˈfuːn/ (ame, ipa) · [bəfˈun] /(ˌ)bə-ˈfün How to pronounce buffoon (audio)/ (ame, mw)

buffoon — noun

  • buffoonsingular
  • buffoonsplural

1. someone who acts in a wildly silly way, often drawing laughter by making a scene

1.名詞C1
釋義

someone who acts in a wildly silly way, often drawing laughter by making a scene.

例句

At the picnic, Christopher danced on a bench like a buffoon to cheer the children.

like a buffoon

Jiwoo played the buffoon at lunch, balancing oranges on her head.

play the buffoon

同義詞
  • clown

    the closest everyday word, often less judgmental than buffoon

  • joker

    can sound friendlier and may focus on joking rather than looking ridiculous

  • show-off

    stresses trying to attract attention, not necessarily making people laugh

文法句型

play the buffoon

act like a buffoon

make a buffoon of yourself

用法筆記

Often used for public, attention-seeking silliness rather than for simple lack of intelligence. It suggests exaggerated behaviour that makes the person look absurd in front of others.

常見錯誤

❌The broken printer is a buffoon.
✅The actor is a buffoon on stage.
💡Buffoon is used for a person, not for an object that causes trouble.

2. an insulting word for someone who is foolish, coarse, and embarrassing in the wa

2.名詞C1
釋義

an insulting word for someone who is foolish, coarse, and embarrassing in the way they speak or act.

例句

Amani called the man a buffoon after he shouted at the bus driver.

call someone a buffoon

Linh refused to vote for the buffoon who mocked every serious question.

同義詞
  • fool

    broader and often milder, without the same sense of public embarrassment

  • idiot

    a blunter insult that focuses more on stupidity than on coarse behaviour

  • boor

    stresses bad manners more strongly than lack of sense

文法句型

call someone a buffoon

be a buffoon

only a buffoon would + verb

用法筆記

Stronger and less playful than sense 1. It is used when the person's foolish behaviour also seems rude, crude, or socially embarrassing.

常見錯誤

❌I dropped one spoon, so I'm a buffoon.
✅I dropped one spoon, so I looked silly.
💡Buffoon is usually too strong for a small everyday mistake.