Clowning

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈklaʊnɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Behaving in a humorous or playful manner, often to amuse others
2. Engaging in silly or comical actions intended to entertain or make people laugh
3. Performing foolish or exaggerated behavior to create amusement or lighten the mood

Etymology: The verb "clowning" is simply the action of playing the clown, but the noun it comes from once meant almost the opposite of a comic performer. Early forms of "clown" described a rustic or coarse country person, a boor or peasant, and the sense of a clumsy, awkward fellow came before any idea of a professional jester. The word probably arrived from North Germanic or Low German sources, where related words such as Icelandic "klunni" and Dutch "kluns" meant a clumsy fellow or klutz, and these trace back to a Middle Low German root tied to the idea of a lump or thick mass. The Latin "colonus" (farmer) has often been suggested as a source, because of the rustic sense, but this is considered unlikely. Scholars think learned awareness of that Latin word may have nudged the word's meaning along, though the core of its history lies in the Germanic words for something heavy and clumsy.

Synonyms: joking, fooling, merrymaking, buffoonery, jesting

Antonyms: seriousness, soberness, gravity, earnestness, formality