goof

noun

ˈgüf How to pronounce goof (audio)
Definition of goofnext
1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy that typo is one of the text's rare goofs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person leave it to that goof to forget the bait on a fishing trip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of goof These compounding goofs demand accountability and a sober reassessment of the competence of American leadership. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026 And watching the Timberwolves goofs who’ve barked on social media eat their words is going to be absolutely quacktacular. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026 Between unintentionally funny goofs and allegations of affairs, the casting directors struck gold with this one. — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026 Lee’s heartbreaking drama somehow lost best picture to Crash, which is regularly cited as one of the biggest goofs by Academy voters this century. — Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for goof
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goof
  1. mistake
  2. moron
  3. blunder
  4. stupid
  5. error
  6. fool
Noun
  • Avoiding these debt relief mistakes can help keep costs under control and improve your chances of a successful outcome.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • This was deliberate and not a fashion or ordered-the-wrong-size-on-Amazon mistake.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
Definition of mistake
Noun
  • Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 June 2026
  • Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.
    — Colm Tóibín, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • Nothing makes this part of the chase memorable or important enough to merit a flash-forward, which turns it into a deflating blunder in a series that can’t afford to slow down.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
  • And while that may sound like little more than a comic blunder, these slips offer one of the clearest windows into how language is assembled in the mind.
    — Karen Stollznow, The Conversation, 14 July 2026
Definition of blunder
Noun
  • My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of stupid
Noun
  • He was tipped for the final in 2018, 2022 and this time, but key errors have cost him.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Sanders noted that the president’s proclamation, which imposed a partial travel ban on holders of Antigua and Barbuda passports, contained several factual errors.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Definition of error
Noun
  • Don’t let the thin sole fool you though, the structure is still quite supportive and keeps your feet cushioned.
    — Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
  • Being a gent or a supplicant wasn’t the same as being a fool, though.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of fool

Phrases Containing goof

Browse Nearby Words

gooeyness
goof
goof (around)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Goof.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on goof

Nglish: Translation of goof for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All