as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
we've been goofing around long enough; it's time to get some real work done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to kill time
to spend time doing nothing
returned home unannounced and found the au pair goofing off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
we must have goofed up somewhere, because this cake clearly didn't turn out right
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to blow
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
he goofed up his first sale at the dealership
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
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
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Cite this Entry
“Goof-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof-off. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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