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Nerd vs Buffoon - What's the difference?

nerd | buffoon |

As nouns the difference between nerd and buffoon

is that nerd is nerd (a person, often very studious, with poor social skills) while buffoon is one who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion; a clown or fool.

As a verb buffoon is

to behave like a.

nerd

English

Alternative forms

* nurd (very rare)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A person who is intellectual but generally introverted
  • * 1953 Advertisement for "Businessman's Lunch", a play by Micheal Quinn, in Patricia Brown, Gloria Mundi
    • They particularly enjoy making fun of one of their fellows who is not present, whom they consider a hopeless nerd – until, that is, they learn he is engaged to marry the boss's daughter.
  • *
  • *
  • One who has an intense, obsessive interest in something.
    • a computer nerd
    a comic-book nerd
  • An unattractive, socially awkward, annoying, undesirable, and/or boring, person; a dork.
    • Only a nerd would wear yellow and blue stripes with green pants
    Nerds seem to have fun with each other, but in a way that causes others to laugh AT them.
    Why are you hanging out with that nerd ?

    Synonyms

    * (sense) dag (Australian), doofus, dork, dweeb, geek, goober, loser, propeller head, twerp, * See also

    Derived terms

    * arachnerd * cybernerd * entreprenerd * millionerd * nerdboy * nerdbrain * nerdcore * nerdette * nerdfest * nerdgasm * Nerdic * nerdification * nerdify * nerdiness * nerdish * nerdism * nerdistan * nerdlet * nerdlike * nerdling * nerdlinger * nerdo * nerdom/nerddom * nerd out * nerdsome * nerdspeak * nerdtastic * nerdvana * nerdy * technonerd

    References

    * Online Etymology Dictionary

    External links

    * (wikipedia) * (commonslite)

    Anagrams

    * English terms with unknown etymologies ----

    buffoon

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who acts in a silly or ridiculous fashion; a clown or fool.
  • * Melmoth
    • To divert the audience with buffoon postures and antic dances.
  • (pejorative) An unintentionally ridiculous person.

    • Usage notes

    * In the United States the term is used most commonly to describe inappropriate, clownish figures on the public stage; here the behavior of a variety of public figures have caused them to be described as buffoons by their political opponents. * In the UK the term is used more broadly, to describe such people who are held in popular regard but who nevertheless engender amusement with their pronouncements and acts.

    Derived terms

    * buffoonery

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To behave like a
  • * {{quote-news, 1988, January 22, Henry Sheehan, Little Boy Blue, Chicago Reader citation
    • , passage=His mimicry of gay speech and facial expressions is analagous to an Amos 'n' Andy routine, in which white men buffooned their way through incredibly demeaning impersonations of black men.}}