goof

\ ˈgüf

How to pronounce goof (audio)

\

Definition of goof

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a silly or stupid person

goof

goofed; goofing; goofs

Definition of goof (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to spend time idly or foolishly —usually used with offgoofing off instead of working

b : to engage in playful activity —usually used with aroundgoofing around after school

2 : to make a usually foolish or careless mistake : blunder —often used with up

transitive verb

: to make a mess of : bungle —usually used with upgoofed up the assignment

goof on

slang

: to make fun of : kid, put on you're goofing on me, right?

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about goof

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of goof in a Sentence

Noun Don't be such a goof. I'll admit it's my goof. I made a major goof. Verb It was clear that someone had goofed.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The two do sped-up, makeup transformations and goof around out of drag. — Ryan Kost, SFChronicle.com, "How to go viral on TikTok, the app you need to know now," 14 Nov. 2019 The 1970s had genre goofs like The Exorcist and Rocky, but the gold-standard movies were adult stories about violence, sexuality, and the treachery of dreams. — Wired, "The WIRED Guide to Star Wars," 22 Nov. 2019 Join former Saturday Night Live cast member and homegrown Cincinnati native Luke Null for a night of musical comedy, stories and goofs. — Luann Gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do this week in Cincinnati: Oct. 21-27," 21 Oct. 2019 There was Cody, a tail-wagging goof of an English chocolate lab in for a check-up. — Author: Rita Giordano, Anchorage Daily News, "Veterinarians — beset by stress, death and debt — are dying by suicide at high rates," 14 Oct. 2019 In our experience, this is a relatively simple but not totally goof-proof transaction. — Jennifer Barger, Washington Post, "Picture frames: How to find the best companies and the best deals," 3 Sep. 2019 As the ringleader behind the male strippers, Brett McMahon is a likable enough goof-off. — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, "‘The Full Monty’: Fun can be enough | Review," 5 Aug. 2019 Some know him as one of the world's premiere DJs and producers, while others seem him as a goof with no shirt and long hair who throws cakes. — Kat Bein, Billboard, "5 Things We Learned While Reading Steve Aoki's Memoir 'Blue: The Color of Noise'," 11 Sep. 2019 In the end, Güero — half-labrador, half-boxer, full-bodied goof — would pay for that folly. — Elaine Ayala, ExpressNews.com, "Bidding adieu to a faithful, four-legged companion," 10 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Check out Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill goofing around in the Millennium Falcon and the late Carrie Fisher sharing her thoughts on the franchise’s epic storytelling. — Ruth Kinane, EW.com, "New Rise of Skywalker teaser celebrates four decades of the Star Wars universe," 29 Nov. 2019 The playful video showed Garner goofing around at the doctor's office during her procedure at Santa Monica's LSG Imaging – doodling animals on her medical chart, blowing up latex gloves and keeping her check-up lighthearted with goofy faces. — Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, "Jennifer Garner shares playful mammogram video to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month," 24 Apr. 2019 If that’s you, this particular holiday season is tailor-made for two solid weeks of goofing off with little chance of being missed. — Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, "Working Strategies: Time for a break? Wrapping up job search for the holidays," 21 Dec. 2019 Clubs have sprung up to help those seeking it; countless young people goof off in their bedrooms with their phones for hours, hoping for a hit. — Taylor Lorenz, New York Times, "TikTok’s Biggest Hits of the Year — and Its Predictions for 2020," 9 Dec. 2019 When Pete catches Mickey goofing off at the wheel of the ship, the two get in a slapstick scuffle that ends with Mickey slipping away, falling into a bucket of water, and being taunted by a parrot. — Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse: Disney's iconic character turns 91," 18 Nov. 2019 The three had skipped high school that morning and were goofing around in the hallways and classrooms of Harlem Park, visiting siblings and chatting with former teachers. — Tom Jackman, Washington Post, "Arrested as teens, three men are expected to be exonerated after 36 years behind bars for wrongful murder conviction," 25 Nov. 2019 The introspective single comes with a video the features personal footage of the singer traveling, hanging out by the pool and goofing around. — Sydney Scott, Essence, "Rapper Smino Gives A Nod To One Of Music's Best With 'Trina'," 25 Oct. 2019 Sometimes such students are bored with school, working jobs to help their parents with finances, raising their own families, or just goofing around. — James Vaznis, BostonGlobe.com, "Knocking on doors, BPS superintendent stresses school attendance," 4 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'goof.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about goof

Dictionary Entries near goof

Goody Two-shoes

Statistics for goof

Last Updated

11 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Goof.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goof. Accessed 21 January 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for goof

goof

noun

English Language Learners Definition of goof

(Entry 1 of 2)

chiefly US, informal

: a silly or stupid person

: a careless or stupid mistake

goof

verb

English Language Learners Definition of goof (Entry 2 of 2)

chiefly US, informal : to make a careless or stupid mistake : to make a goof

See the full definition for goof in the English Language Learners Dictionary

goof

\ ˈgüf

\

Kids Definition of goof

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a stupid or silly person

2 : blunder entry 2

goof

goofed; goofing

Kids Definition of goof (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to spend time foolishly He goofed off instead of studying.

2 : to spend time doing silly or playful things They spend the weekend goofing around.

3 : to make a blunder

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

bonhomie

good-natured easy friendliness

Test Your Vocabulary

Intact Latin Quiz

What did focus mean in Latin?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.