acted the fool
Behaved like buffoon
To act the fool is to behave in a silly, reckless, or undignified way—clowning around, making a spectacle of yourself, or doing something foolish you might later regret.
The phrase often carries mild reproach: Stop acting the fool and pay attention.
It can describe deliberate playfulness or genuinely thoughtless behavior.
- clownedActed absurdly for laughs
- clown aroundAct foolishly for laughs
- horsed aroundEngaged in rowdy play
- jokedSpoke in humor
- ham it upPerform with exaggerated theatrics
tease · court jester · class clown · mimicked · made faces · bungled · jested · absurdist theater · entertained · pratfall · pranked · caricature · act · slapstick humor · tomfoolery · goofed off · cut up · amused
acted, acting, action, actions, active, actively, activate, activated, activation