oaf

[ ohf ]
See synonyms for: oafoafishnessoafish on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a clumsy, stupid person; lout.

  2. a simpleton; dunce; blockhead.

  1. Archaic.

    • a deformed or mentally deficient child.

    • a changeling.

Origin of oaf

1
1615–25; variant of auf,Middle English alfe,Old English ælfelf; cognate with German Alp nightmare

synonym study For oaf

1. See boorish.

Other words for oaf

Other words from oaf

  • oafish, adjective
  • oaf·ish·ly, adverb
  • oaf·ish·ness, noun

Words that may be confused with oaf

Words Nearby oaf

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oaf in a sentence

  • Then the oaf rose and looked down upon his work, with a childish pleasure.

    The Incendiary | W. A. (William Augustine) Leahy
  • The oaf began muttering in a low, indistinct murmur, like one soothing a child.

    The Incendiary | W. A. (William Augustine) Leahy

British Dictionary definitions for oaf

oaf

/ (əʊf) /


noun
  1. a stupid or loutish person

Origin of oaf

1
C17: variant of Old English ælf elf

Derived forms of oaf

  • oafish, adjective
  • oafishly, adverb
  • oafishness, noun

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