goof

American  

[goof] / guf /

verb (used without object)

1. to blunder; make an error, misjudgment, etc.

2. to waste or kill time; evade work or responsibility (often followed by off oraround ).

   Exam week is not a time to goof off. We goofed around till train time.

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verb (used with object)

1. to spoil or make a mess of (something); botch; bungle (often followed byup ).

   You really goofed up the job.

noun

1. a foolish or stupid person.

2. a mistake or blunder, especially one due to carelessness.

3. a source of fun or cause for amusement.

   We short-sheeted his bunk just for a goof.

verb phrase

1. goof on to tease, ridicule, or mock; make fun of.

goof British  

/ ɡuːf /

noun

1. a foolish error or mistake

2. a stupid person

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verb

1. to bungle (something); botch

2. (intr; often foll by about or around) to fool (around); mess (about)

3. (tr) to dope with drugs

4. to waste time; idle

Etymology

Origin of goof

1915–20; apparently variant of obsolete goff dolt < Middle French goffe awkward, stupid

Example Sentences

Right off, I wanted to say I was sorry for the way the election thing had been all goofed up, but that there was always next time.

From Literature

Claiming afterward that she had only been thinking before speaking made the original goof worse.

From The Wall Street Journal

Geisel lasted less than a year in Oxford, but Jones says "once he's hooked up with Helen" he spent his time "travelling, goofing off and kind of really doing anything but his studies".

From BBC

“I like for goof around,” Leo says now.

From Literature

I have to stop daydreaming and goofing around.

From Literature

Related Words

• err
• flub
• screw up