A buffoon in one of the old comedies; imitates others for ludicrous effect.

Roget 844: humorist, wag, wit, reparteeist^†, epigrammatist, punster; bel esprit, life of the party; wit-snapper, wit-cracker, wit-worm; joker, jester, Joe Miller^†, drole de corps^†, gaillard^†, spark; bon diable [Fr.]; practical joker.    buffoon, farceur [Fr.], merry-andrew, mime, tumbler, acrobat, mountebank, charlatan, posturemaster^†, harlequin, punch, pulcinella^†, scaramouch^†, clown; wearer of the cap and bells, wearer of the motley; motley fool; pantaloon, gypsy; jack-pudding, jack in the green, jack a dandy; wiseacre, wise guy, smartass [Coll.]; fool etc. 501.    zany, madcap; pickle-herring, witling^†, caricaturist, grimacier^†; persifleur^†.    ... show more

A man who is a stupid incompetent fool.

synonyms: bozo, cuckoo, fathead, goof, goofball, goose, jackass, twat.

Roget 501: fool, idiot, tomfool, wiseacre, simpleton, witling^†, dizzard^†, donkey, ass; ninny, ninnyhammer^†; chowderhead^†, chucklehead^†; dolt, booby, Tom Noddy, looby^†, hoddy-doddy^†, noddy, nonny, noodle, nizy^†, owl; goose, goosecap^†; imbecile; gaby^†; radoteur^†, nincompoop, badaud^†, zany; trifler, babbler; pretty fellow; natural, niais^†.    child, baby, infant, innocent, milksop, sop.    oaf, lout, loon, lown^†, dullard, doodle, calf, colt, buzzard, block, put, stick, stock, numps^†, tony.    bull head, dunderhead, addlehead^†, blockhead, dullhead^†, loggerhead, jolthead^†, jolterhead^†, beetlehead^†, beetlebrain, grosshead^†, muttonhead, noodlehead, giddyhead^†; numbskull, thickskull^†; lackbrain^†, shallowbrain^†; dimwit, halfwit, lackwit^†; dunderpate^†; lunkhead sawney [U.S.], gowk^†; clod, clod-hopper; clod-poll, clot-poll, clot-pate; bull calf; gawk, Gothamite, lummox, rube [U.S.]; men of Boeotia, wise men of Gotham.    un sot a triple etage [Fr.], sot; jobbernowl^†, changeling, mooncalf, gobemouche^†.    dotard, driveler; old fogey, old woman, crock; crone, grandmother; cotquean^†, henhussy^†.    incompetent (insanity) 503.    greenhorn etc. (dupe) 547; dunce etc. (ignoramus) 493; lubber etc. (bungler) 701; madman etc. 504.    one who will not set the Thames on fire; one who did not invent gunpowder, qui n'a pas invente' la poudre [Fr.]; no conjuror.    ... show more

Dutch: oliebol

Ludicrous, foolish.

synonyms: goofy, silly, wacky, whacky.

Roget 842: witty, attic; quick-witted, nimble-witted; smart; jocular, jocose, humorous; facetious, waggish, whimsical; kidding, joking, puckish; playful etc. 840; merry and wise; pleasant, sprightly, light, spirituel^†, sparkling, epigrammatic, full of point, ben trovato [It]; comic etc. 853.    zany, madcap.    funny, amusing etc. (amusement) 840.    ... show more

Like a clown:
— A zany sense of humor.

synonyms: buffoonish, clownish, clownlike.

Polish: klownowski, klaunowski