gracioso: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low (Specialist/Literary)Literary/Specialist/Theatre
Quick answer
What does “gracioso” mean?
A clown or buffoon in Spanish comedy.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A clown or buffoon in Spanish comedy; a comic character.
Used humorously or ironically in English to describe someone acting in a comical, foolish, or amusingly theatrical manner.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Virtually no difference in usage. The word is equally rare in both varieties and used in the same specialized contexts (literary analysis, theatre studies).
Connotations
Literary, historical, foreign, theatrical.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency. Most common in texts discussing Spanish Golden Age theatre (e.g., plays of Lope de Vega, Calderón).
Grammar
How to Use “gracioso” in a Sentence
The [gracioso] [provides comic relief].He was playing the [gracioso].It was a [gracioso] role.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gracioso” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- His gracioso antics brought some levity to the otherwise heavy play.
American English
- She gave a gracioso performance as the servant in the Spanish play.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in literary criticism and theatre history papers discussing Spanish drama.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
A term in drama and theatre studies.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “gracioso”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “gracioso”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gracioso”
- Using it as a general adjective meaning 'funny' (e.g., 'That joke was gracioso' is incorrect).
- Pronouncing it /ˈɡreɪʃəs/ (like 'gracious').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a loanword from Spanish, used in English only in very specific contexts related to Spanish theatre or literature.
No, that would be incorrect and sound affected. Use 'funny', 'amusing', 'comical', or 'hilarious' instead.
In British English: /ˌɡrasɪˈəʊsəʊ/. In American English: /ˌɡrɑsiˈoʊsoʊ/. The stress is on the third syllable.
In English, it functions primarily as a noun (the gracioso) or, more rarely, as an adjective (a gracioso role).
A clown or buffoon in Spanish comedy.
Gracioso is usually literary/specialist/theatre in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “play the gracioso (to act the fool)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: GRACious but ridiculOUS = a gracious fool, a clown.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE FOOL IS A SOCIAL LUBRICANT.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'gracioso' in English usage?