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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Mattress slackers do have an excuse, however, since some of the newer mattress-in-a-box brands aren't designed to flip.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026 -
Directed by John Hughes, the movie stars Matthew Broderick in the titular role of a high school slacker who plays hooky with his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara).—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And he is viewed as an underachiever.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
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The difference in the case of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys is that many of its students, grades 4 through 8, arrive at the school as underachievers but receive the type of support that prepares them to be college and career-ready.—
Walter Fields,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Just take care of your[self], and veg out.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Jan. 2026
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This set is damn near professional-wear, with a blazer-style top and contrast piping for those who like to veg out with dignity.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Year-round warm weather, hitting the links, and kicking back with the grandkids has long been the quintessential American retirement dream.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
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And don’t forget to kick back and relax; this 24 percent-off Alps Mountaineering Cirrus Hammock easily strings between trees on your campsite or even in your own backyard for a post-work unwind.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There are more ways than lounging on your couch sipping Arnold Palmers to take it all in.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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From a morning perusing the Louvre to an afternoon lounging at the Luxembourg Garden—plus a day trip to Champagne or a weekend away in Burgundy—these 15 items embrace French chic.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Though the sisters are supposedly first-generation Italian American, no whiff of the old country hangs about Kay; Dorothy will at least spit out a few words in Italian.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Turquoise pearl, and azure line the space, and a cylindrical hanging light sculpture made of hundreds of white and gold ceramic fish hangs about the lounge seating area.—
Kristin Braswell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The case for more medical freedom rests on laudable principles.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Also, Goldman’s framework rests not on a direct count of jobs lost to AI and jobs created by AI in real time, but on inferences derived from a regression analysis.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
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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Cite this Entry
“Goof (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof%20%28off%29. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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