palhaço
What does “palhaço” mean in English?
It refers to someone who is seen as ridiculous or unserious, like calling someone a clown. The literal sense of a performer is neutral and not offensive.
Literally “clown”
It's typically used as a directed insult, similar to calling someone a fool or an idiot in English. It's not particularly strong, but it can sting depending on the context.
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Related Portuguese words
baba-ovo
2/5 · CoarseThis refers to someone who is a sycophant or brown-noser, someone who flatters others for personal gain. The literal translation, 'egg/testicle drooler,' hints at the idea of someone who is overly eager to please.
babaca
2/5 · CoarseIt's an insult used to call someone an idiot or jerk. In Brazil, it's a common everyday term for someone acting foolishly.
camelo
2/5 · CoarseIt's an insult for someone considered a foolish or uncouth person. While it literally means 'camel', in this context, it suggests someone who behaves awkwardly or stupidly.
cretino
2/5 · CoarseIt’s an insult meaning idiot or jerk. It’s not a medical term, just a way to call someone foolish.
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via 4troDev/profanity.csv (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.