B2 verb Literary

buffoon

/bəˈfuːn/

To behave in a silly, ridiculous, or foolish way, often to amuse others or to distract from a serious situation. In an academic context, it refers to the performance of absurdity or the intentional playing of the fool.

Examples

3 of 5
1

He continued to buffoon for the crowd despite the serious nature of the event.

He kept acting like a fool for the audience even though the event was serious.

2

The witness began to buffoon during cross-examination, which significantly undermined his credibility.

The witness started acting silly during questioning, which really hurt his believability.

3

Stop buffooning in the hallway and get back to your work!

Quit playing around in the corridor and return to your tasks.

Word Family

Noun
buffoonery
Verb
buffoon
Adverb
buffoonishly
Adjective
buffoonish
Related
buffoon
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Memory Tip

Think of a 'buffoon' as someone who 'buffs' up their ego by acting like a silly 'baboon'.

Quick Quiz

The comedian began to ___ on stage to distract the audience from the technical difficulties.

Correct!

The correct answer is: buffoon

Examples

1

He continued to buffoon for the crowd despite the serious nature of the event.

everyday

He kept acting like a fool for the audience even though the event was serious.

2

The witness began to buffoon during cross-examination, which significantly undermined his credibility.

formal

The witness started acting silly during questioning, which really hurt his believability.

3

Stop buffooning in the hallway and get back to your work!

informal

Quit playing around in the corridor and return to your tasks.

4

The protagonist is often seen to buffoon in the third act to highlight the tragic irony of the play.

academic

The main character often acts foolishly in the third act to show the sad irony of the story.

5

The marketing director was warned not to buffoon during the quarterly investor call.

business

The head of marketing was told not to behave unprofessionally during the meeting with investors.

Word Family

Noun
buffoonery
Verb
buffoon
Adverb
buffoonishly
Adjective
buffoonish
Related
buffoon

Common Collocations

buffoon around to waste time acting foolishly
ceaselessly buffoon to act like a fool without stopping
buffoon for attention to behave ridiculously to get noticed
tendency to buffoon a habit of acting foolishly
buffoon openly to act silly in public without shame

Common Phrases

buffoon about

to spend time engaged in silly behavior

buffoon through something

to complete a task by acting silly rather than serious

to buffoon one's way

to navigate a situation by using humor or foolishness

Often Confused With

buffoon vs baboon

A baboon is a large primate, while a buffoon is a person who acts foolishly.

buffoon vs balloon

A balloon is an inflatable toy; buffoon refers to ridiculous behavior.

📝

Usage Notes

While 'buffoon' is most commonly recognized as a noun, using it as a verb is a more literary or formal way to describe the act of behaving foolishly. It often carries a negative connotation of being unprofessional or annoying.

⚠️

Common Mistakes

Learners often forget that this word can be used as a verb and only use it as a noun. Additionally, do not confuse it with 'buff' (which means an enthusiast or someone physically fit).

💡

Memory Tip

Think of a 'buffoon' as someone who 'buffs' up their ego by acting like a silly 'baboon'.

📖

Word Origin

Derived from the Italian 'buffone' (jester), which comes from 'buffare', meaning to puff out the cheeks—a common gesture used by clowns to cause laughter.

Grammar Patterns

Used as an intransitive verb (it doesn't need a direct object). Follows regular conjugation: buffooned, buffooning. Often followed by the preposition 'around' or 'for'.
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Cultural Context

The term has roots in European court culture where a buffoon (jester) was paid to act foolishly to entertain the nobility.

Quick Quiz

The comedian began to ___ on stage to distract the audience from the technical difficulties.

Correct!

The correct answer is: buffoon

Related Words

monocredive

C1

Describing a mindset or system that relies exclusively on a single source of belief, truth, or authority. It is often used to characterize psychological or social structures where alternative perspectives are systematically ignored or rejected.

macrodentity

C1

To define, classify, or characterize an entity or group based on broad, large-scale structural or systemic features rather than individual traits. It involves assigning a collective identity to a subject within a wider sociological or global framework.

interducdom

C1

The state, status, or collective realm of introductory elements or transitional preliminaries. It refers to the transitional period or condition of something that has been recently introduced but is not yet fully established or advanced.

circumtempsion

C1

To strategically bypass or maneuver around a specific deadline or time constraint by exploiting administrative technicalities or scheduling nuances. This verb describes the act of intentionally creating a temporal delay to avoid immediate obligations.

unflexhood

C1

The state or condition of being inflexible, unyielding, or resistant to change in one's mindset, physical form, or behavior. It often characterizes a persistent rigidity that prevents adaptation to new circumstances or perspectives.

prevercy

C1

The state or quality of being prior or taking precedence in order, time, or importance. It refers to a condition where one element must be addressed, considered, or completed before others due to its status or inherent necessity.

addictence

C1

Describing a state of inherent habit-formation or the quality of being compulsively dependent on a substance or activity. It characterizes both the psychological predisposition toward dependency and the property of an external stimulus to trigger such a state.

abfactly

C1

To derive or isolate core factual components from a complex narrative or dataset by stripping away subjective interpretation. This process is used specifically to reach an objective conclusion from qualitative or cluttered information.

transvadtion

C1

To bridge or synthesize distinct theoretical frameworks, data sets, or systems into a singular, functional model. It involves the active process of integrating disparate elements to achieve structural or conceptual unity.

hyperterrful

C1

Describes something that is excessively terrifying or causing an overwhelming sense of dread, often due to its vast scale or intense nature. It is typically used to describe situations or environments that evoke a profound, almost paralyzing fear.

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