goof
Americanverb (used without object)
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to blunder; make an error, misjudgment, etc.
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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.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a foolish or stupid person.
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a mistake or blunder, especially one due to carelessness.
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a source of fun or cause for amusement.
We short-sheeted his bunk just for a goof.
verb phrase
noun
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a foolish error or mistake
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a stupid person
verb
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to bungle (something); botch
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(intr; often foll by about or around) to fool (around); mess (about)
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(tr) to dope with drugs
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to waste time; idle
Etymology
Origin of goof
1915–20; apparently variant of obsolete goff dolt < Middle French goffe awkward, stupid
Explanation
A goof is a silly fool. If you can't stop telling jokes, even after your math class has started, your teacher will think you're a goof. There are many alternate words for goof, including dimwit, dummy, and nitwit. In other words, you should only call someone a goof if you mean to insult their intelligence. The mistakes a goof — or anyone — makes can also be called goofs: "I made such a goof when I was mixing this cake batter." Goof is a 1916 American invention, probably influenced by the English dialect goff, "foolish clown."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I asked Clark if he was worried that a 58-year-old player would be a distraction to the program, or seen as a goof.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025
"This is reputation management of the highest order," he wrote, criticising the "softest editing" which painted Sir Jacob wrongly as a "harmless gosh-and-golly goof".
From BBC • Dec. 2, 2024
But, you know, we're out to have fun and we're out to goof around.
From Salon • Sep. 14, 2024
Momoa and Day play two men who notice the camera and goof around.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2023
“So he liked to goof around, he liked to imitate people, and he liked being the center of attention,” Grace says.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
