clowning around

NOUN

monkey business

Synonyms

WEAK

absurdity absurdness antics buffoonery carrying-on craziness disobedience foolery foolishness hanky-panky high jinks hokey-pokey horse feathers horseplay inanity insanity irresponsibility ludicrousness lunacy misbehavior mischief mischief-making monkeyshine nonsense poppycock prank silliness stupidity tommyrot

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But too much clowning around might not look so smart.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2025

Living up to her designation as “the Internet’s favorite rich auntie,” Ross keeps her Instagram followers well fed with endless glamour and lots of clowning around.

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2025

You see Marisol clowning around with “Dinner Date” on the flickering screen.

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2022

The Wayans with the most range when it comes to acting and clowning around takes the stage in between whatever massive projects he’s working on to keep his stand-up muscles strong.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2022

“You know, make a fresh start. I really didn’t mean anything when I made fun of you during auditions. I was just clowning around, you know.”

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

clowning around

Example Sentences

Related Words