buffoonery

When buffoonery refers to immature joking around, some synonyms include shenanigans, tomfoolery, clowning, antics, and high jinks.

The word horseplay can mean something similar, but it often involves playing rough (roughhousing). Buffoonery usually implies behavior that’s silly and perhaps immature or inappropriate, but not necessarily rough.

Sometimes, buffoonery refers to a particularly silly kind of humor or comedy. Similar words include slapstick and farce. Slapstick is a kind of absurd physical humor, like a person throwing a pie in someone’s face or stepping on a rake. Farce refers to a kind of comedy that usually involves a ridiculous situation.