buffoonery

noun

buf·​foon·​ery (ˌ)bə-ˈfü-nə-rē How to pronounce buffoonery (audio)
-ˈfün-rē
plural buffooneries
: foolish or playful behavior or practice

Examples of buffoonery in a Sentence

their madcap buffoonery turned the duo into the nation's hottest comedy act
Recent Examples on the Web He was bizarrely snubbed for Payne’s Sideways, a 2004 indie smash that was otherwise showered with awards attention, and would not have remotely resonated with audiences without Giamatti’s bruised, relatable buffoonery at its center. David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 Rich is no stranger to Washington buffoonery, having executive produced both Veep and Succession. Vulture, 3 Dec. 2023 Perkins and Chavez-Richmond are delivering absolutely winning performances, expertly walking the line between buffoonery and poignancy. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2023 Once heralded as a fearless lawman, game-changing New York City mayor and Sept. 11 hero, he is now defined by a subservience to the 45th president that sometimes veered into buffoonery. Dan Barry, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2023 And shook our head at the Snyder buffoonery and clownsmanship. Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2023 White House Plumbers endeavors to humanize its perpetrators by illustrating that beneath their buffoonery was… lots and lots more buffoonery. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Apr. 2023 By the spring of 2015, both were prime 20-somethings and three-time Cup champs — an era that now seems long ago amid the franchise’s ongoing buffoonery. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Apr. 2023 Eccentric circles, clapping, buffoonery. Ben Lerner, The New York Review of Books, 23 July 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buffoonery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of buffoonery was in 1621

Dictionary Entries Near buffoonery

Cite this Entry

“Buffoonery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buffoonery. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

buffoonery

noun
buf·​foon·​ery (ˌ)bə-ˈfün-(ə-)rē How to pronounce buffoonery (audio)
plural buffoonerries
: foolish or playful behavior

More from Merriam-Webster on buffoonery

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