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payaso

clown

noun pah-YAH-soh Rare
Arts & Culture Performance

Usage Note

Payaso is the standard word for a circus or party clown, but it's also used colloquially to call someone a fool or someone who acts ridiculous (¡No seas payaso! — 'Don't be a clown!'). The feminine form payasa exists and is fully standard. The verb payasear means to clown around.

Examples

"El payaso hizo reír a todos los niños."

Natural Translation

The clown made all the children laugh.

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