as in to kill time
to spend time doing nothing
returned home unannounced and found the au pair goofing off
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goof-off
Noun
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Judge introduced his iconic slacker duo way back in 1993, debuting on MTV’s toon mashup Liquid Television.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
24 July 2025 -
Breckin Meyer played the slacker stoner Travis Birkenstock in Clueless, which was based on actors like Sean Penn in 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Keanu Reeves in the 1989 films Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Parenthood.—
Julia Emmanuele,
People.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
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Especially given the turmoil with the other edge rushers, eyes are focused on seeing if Murphy looks like the same underachiever from the first two years or a blossoming athletic specimen.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
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On the other side, some health-care underachievers like Bristol Myers and Danaher are finally bouncing after their rough couple of months.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
1 July 2025
Verb
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And while humans tend to veg out on the couch, canines typically only watch for short periods.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Making the choice to be social is especially difficult at the end of an exhausting day when your impulse may be to veg out on the couch.—
Allie Volpe,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Verb
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Queue up that Academy Award–winning film, kick back in your pool lounger, and press play on an unforgettable time.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
23 July 2025
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There are 57 rooms, three dining venues, a legendary afternoon tea in the Garden Courtyard, and plush lounges where guests can kick back and relax all day.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Wear wide-leg linen pants out to dinner, to the beach, while lounging around the house, or even to the office.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 July 2025
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In our opinion, top-tier attire in this clothing category meets the following criteria: soft and breathable materials and unisex silhouettes that are suitable for sleep, lounging, and even running errands.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
17 July 2025
Verb
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Sizes Tablecloths should hang about 8-16 inches on each side for formal dining and about 3-6 inches on each side for casual dining.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
2 Oct. 2024
Verb
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In the photo, Spieth and his children's hands can be seen touching the little one, who is resting while wearing a blue onesie with trucks printed on it.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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After taking a little extra time to rest up, the three-time Grammy winner kicked off her Las Vegas residency with a bang on Friday night.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Get our daily newsletter Yet Mr Schwarzman avoids footling with life’s foot-soldiers for a reason.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
19 Sep. 2019
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Last year an American startup called Swarm Technologies paid a footling $900,000 fine for sending four tiny satellites into orbit on an Indian rocket, having been denied permission to do so by the US Federal Communications Commission.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
17 July 2019
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Cite this Entry
“Goof-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof-off. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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