A clown is a performer who makes people laugh through silly costumes, exaggerated movements, funny faces, and ridiculous behavior. Traditional clowns wear colorful wigs, oversized shoes, red noses, and face paint while performing at circuses, birthday parties, or parades. They might juggle, fall down on purpose, squeeze into tiny cars with a dozen other clowns, or spray each other with water from fake flowers.

The word also describes someone acting foolishly or not taking things seriously. If your friend keeps making jokes during math class when everyone's trying to concentrate, you might say “stop clowning around.” When someone calls another person a clown, they usually mean that person is acting ridiculous or not showing good judgment.

Clowns have entertained audiences for centuries. Court jesters were medieval performers who entertained kings and queens. Modern circus clowns became popular in the 1800s. While most clowns aim to bring joy and laughter, some people find them unsettling because of their heavy makeup and unpredictable behavior.

As a verb, clown (or clown around) can mean performing as a clown or just acting silly and playful. The key difference is context: professional clowns bring laughter as their job, while clowning around at the wrong time shows poor judgment about when humor is appropriate.