bozo

American  

[boh-zoh] / ˈboʊ zoʊ /

noun

Slang.

plural

bozos

1. a fellow, especially a big, strong, stupid fellow.

2. a rude, obnoxious, or annoying person.

   Two or three bozos tried to cut in ahead of the rest of us in the supermarket line.

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bozo British  

/ ˈbəʊzəʊ /

noun

1. slang a man, esp a stupid one

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Etymology

Origin of bozo

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20; of uncertain origin

Explanation

A bozo is a goofy, ridiculous person. A frustrated preschool teacher might beg her students to sit down and stop acting like bozos. You can use the informal term bozo to describe someone who's harmlessly goofy, or alternately, someone who is annoyingly rude. If your candidate for President loses, you might say: "How could all those bozos vote for that guy?" While the exact origin of bozo is unknown, the word became strongly associated with foolishness thanks to the popular TV clown named Bozo who entertained American children from about 1950 until 2001.

Example Sentences

And on the other hand, I am exactly the kind of gullible bozo who’s liable to find himself up to his neck in those very conspiracies.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2025

And even if Berhalter returns, does Zendejas want to play for the same bozo who benched a world-class talent in Reyna in favor of a glorified worker bee like Tim Weah?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2023

At the same time, it is so prevalent that any time one vest-wearing bozo gets nabbed, three more spring up in his place.

From Slate • Jun. 21, 2022

“He’s a complete bozo in the clubhouse,” the left-handed pitcher Alex Wood said of the captain, Brandon Belt, whose impish humor spilled onto the field on opening day.

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2022

“Anyone ever go splat?” some pale bozo with a neon drink asks the people running the ride, and then he laughs with his bozo friends.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

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