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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Since signing to Matador, the band has sharpened its sound into a quirky, exhilarated alt-pop, too uncanny to be dance-punk and too lively to be slacker rock.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025 -
The cult hit comedy franchise Super Troopers revolves around the shenanigans of a group of Vermont state troopers who are slacker pranksters first and foremost.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There was a time when Monfils could have been characterised as an underachiever.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Over the course of the show’s eight year run, this moment was not always taken as a given; the son, Theo Huxtable, was for years presented as a chronic underachiever, more interested in the typical trappings of teenage boyhood—friends, parties, girls, motorcycles.—
Mychal Denzel Smith,
Time,
22 July 2025
Verb
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This is something Kang was championing — badass characters who also veg out on the couch without makeup on.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
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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
Verb
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The music video's poolside scene was a chance to kick back during a hectic shoot day.—
Mackenzie Schmidt,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
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The magnetic and laser forces are arranged so that any lithium atom that might otherwise fly away from the center is most likely to absorb a photon from the lasers, getting a momentum kick back into the trap.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As the action took place, the fashionable crowd lounged on the beautifully landscaped outdoor dining area, grazing on the pies and taking pictures of the sea.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
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Bomber jackets are seemingly always in style, but the 48-year-old actress gave it a cozy upgrade, opting for a teddy material that’s soft enough to lounge in yet elegant enough for the red carpet.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 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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To facilitate even heating, let food rest for a few minutes after cooking.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Whereas the prosecution spent more than six weeks presenting its case against Combs, the mogul's defense did not call any witnesses to the stand and rested its case in under 30 minutes.—
Isabella Gomez Sarmiento,
NPR,
2 Oct. 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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Cite this Entry
“Goof-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof-off. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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