New York Times
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Oaf Has a Fanciful History
A long time ago in England, it was believed that elves sometimes secretly exchanged their babies for human babies. This was used as an explanation when parents found themselves with a baby that failed to meet expectations or desires: these parents believed that their real baby had been stolen by elves and that a changeling had been left in its place. The label for such a child was auf, or alfe, (meaning "an elf's or a goblin's child"), which was later altered to form our present-day oaf. Although the linguistic history is not entirely clear, auf is likely from the Middle English alven, elven, meaning "elf" or "fairy." Today, the word oaf is no longer associated with babies and is instead applied to anyone who appears especially unintelligent or graceless.
Examples of oaf in a Sentence
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
The pope, played by Samora la Perdida, is a mincing oaf who bickers with Galas about the value of translating Wagner.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Hackman’s aggravation early on that directors didn’t seek out and exploit his comic and even improv talents was handled unforgettably in his portrayal of Superman villain Lex Luthor, a flamboyant oaf of Trumpian proportions.
—Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2025
As women have enjoyed more economic opportunities, they’re less often forced to marry some oaf who gets violent after a few drinks — and, anyway, what self-respecting woman with independent means would want to marry, say, a fan of Andrew Tate?
—Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for oaf
Cite this Entry
“Oaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oaf. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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