goofed; goofing; goofs
1
a
: to spend time idly or foolishly
—usually used with off
goofing off instead of working
b
: to engage in playful activity
—usually used with around
goofing around after school
2
: to make a usually foolish or careless mistake : blunder
—often used with up
: to make a mess of : bungle
—usually used with up
goofed up the assignment
Examples of goof in a Sentence
Noun
Don't be such a goof.
I made a major goof.
Verb
It was clear that someone had goofed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 May 2025
Whether playing the lovable goof who couldn’t tell left from right, or hilariously claiming Cena was his childhood hero (despite being five years older), Killings turned even throwaway segments into Saturday Night Live-worthy skits.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 19 May 2025
John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
Fatima is also a gifted student, captivated in class as her buddies goof off around her.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for goof
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Noun
The novel Abby fell asleep reading is a goof on City of Thieves, a novel by Game of Thrones co-showrunner David Benioff, who also wrote the novel adapted by Spike Lee into the great 2002 film 25th Hour (from Benioff’s screenplay).
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 May 2025
Whether playing the lovable goof who couldn’t tell left from right, or hilariously claiming Cena was his childhood hero (despite being five years older), Killings turned even throwaway segments into Saturday Night Live-worthy skits.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 19 May 2025
Verb
Just be sure to click that boss button before you get caught goofing off.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 May 2025
Fatima is also a gifted student, captivated in class as her buddies goof off around her.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for goof
Cite this Entry
“Goof.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goof. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
goof
1 of 2 noun1
: a silly or stupid person
2
goof
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to spend time foolishly
goofing off instead of working
b
: to engage in a playful activity
goofing around after school
3
: to make a mess of : bungle
goofed up the assignment
Etymology
Noun
probably an altered form of dialect word goff "simpleton"
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