buffoon

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bəˈfuːn/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːn

Noun

buffoon (plural buffoons)

1. One who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion; a clown or fool.
   • (Can we date this quote by Melmoth and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     To divert the audience with buffoon postures and antic dances.

2. (derogatory) An unintentionally ridiculous person.

Usage notes

• In the United States the term most commonly refers to inappropriate, clownish figures on the public stage; here the behavior of a variety of public figures have caused them to be referred to as buffoons by their political opponents.
• In the United Kingdom the term is used more broadly, to refer to such people who are retained in popular regard but who nevertheless engender amusement with their pronouncements and acts.

Derived terms

• buffoonery

Translations

one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion

• Arabic: مُهَرِّج m (muharrij)
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: шут (bg) m (šut), паля́чо (bg) n (paljáčo)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 小丑 (zh) (xiǎochǒu)

• Dutch: clown (nl) m
• Esperanto: bufono
• Finnish: ilveilijä (fi), narri (fi), pelle (fi)
• French: bouffon (fr) m
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Hanswurst (de) m
• Greek:

  Ancient: γελωτοποιός m (gelōtopoiós)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: pojáca (hu), ripacs (hu)
• Irish: abhlóir m, drúth m, fuirseoir m, miodhlach f, óinmhid f
• Italian: pagliaccio (it) m
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Maori: heahea
• Persian: شوت (fa) (šut)
• Polish: pajac (pl) m
• Portuguese: palhaço (pt) m, bufão (pt) m
• Russian: шут (ru) m (šut), пая́ц (ru) m (pajác), скоморо́х (ru) m (skomoróx), фигля́р (ru) m (figljár), буффо́н (ru) m (buffón)
• Spanish: bufón (es) m
• Swedish: pajas (sv), fjant (sv) c

unintentionally ridiculous person

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: sufferd (nl) m
• Finnish: narri (fi), mäntti (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: please add this translation if you can
• German: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

Verb

buffoon (third-person singular simple present buffoons, present participle buffooning, simple past and past participle buffooned)

1. To behave like a buffoon

Translations

to behave like buffoon

• Finnish: pelleillä (fi), ilveillä
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}