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9 Synonyms For “Screwing Up”We’ve all had moments where we’ve really and truly screwed something up. An epic mistake (OK, maybe not on a historic, global scale like the February 26, 2017 Oscars). But still, we’re human, and mistakes do happen. There are a lot of words to describe things going south in a hurry. We’ve gathered a few here. You’ll notice they’re all very close in definition. Maybe …
Nearby words
goody two-shoes, goody-goody, goodyear, goodyear, charles, gooey, goof, goof on, goof up, goof-off, goof-up, goofball
Origin of goof
1915–20; apparently variant of obsolete goff dolt < Middle French goffe awkward, stupid
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for goof on
goof
/ (ɡuːf) informal /
noun
a foolish error or mistake
a stupid person
verb
to bungle (something); botch
(intr; often foll by about or around) to fool (around); mess (about)
(tr) to dope with drugs
(intr often foll by off) US and Canadian to waste time; idle
Word Origin for goof
C20: probably from (dialect) goff simpleton, from Old French goffe clumsy, from Italian goffo, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with goof on
goof on
Make fun of, mock, as in He was always goofing on his little brother. [Slang; mid-1900s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.