noun
Related Words
See boorish ( def. ).
Other Word Forms
- oafish adjective
- oafishly adverb
- oafishness noun
Etymology
Origin of oaf
1615–25; variant of auf, Middle English alfe, Old English ælf elf; cognate with German Alp nightmare
Explanation
An oaf is the boring, ill-mannered person you hope doesn't show up at your party and send the other guests running for the door. There are many ways to be an oaf: you can be loud, insensitive, rude, or just plain stupid. The word is related to the Old English word for "elf," and originally meant a changeling — an elf's child, a little darling not known for good manners — and you probably wouldn't want one of them at your party either.
Vocabulary lists containing oaf
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Whoops! Synonyms for "Clumsy"
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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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.
But neither should you behave like an oaf.
From Washington Post • Jan. 12, 2023
At first he doesn't accept her apology but, being the immature oaf that he is, Chris gets back at her by using her as human torpedo to destroy their gooey, disgusting alien target.
From Salon • Feb. 18, 2022
But the oaf from Park Slope really deserves three cheers for using his lame-duck months to blaze an appropriately aggressive trail on this issue.
From Slate • Oct. 4, 2021
Naturally, this oaf is no match for the tough-girl cool of Fox, who emerges from each bloody tussle and snowy brawl with her makeup perfectly intact: such is her legend.
From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2021
What had that oaf Axell Florent said of Val?
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
