as in puerility
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Recent Examples of goofiness
Carlock and Means are masters at fourth-wall-breaking structure and winking, metatextual dialogue, and their ability to balance the goofiness of the series’ diversions with its straightforwardly heartwarming main narrative made each episode a breezy watch.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
My favorite moments happen when Blake leans into the goofiness of his online persona while moving away from the type of gimmicky rap he’s known for and digging deeper into the pop-rap and guitar-driver melodies he’s always explored.
—Donald Morrison, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2026
Little kids are especially talented at the sort of goofiness that gets everyone giggling with joy.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 13 Mar. 2026
Instead, any attempt by Gyllenhaal at conveying a message is drowned out by her film’s overwhelming goofiness.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
While social media was, and continues to be, a hotbed of culture-war goofiness, people yelling about lentils in the comments section of Jezebel hardly accounts for the rise of RFK Jr.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Johnson delights in playing the role of lovable buffoon in the locker room, but his goofiness has purpose.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
And follow his skiing adventrues and hilarious goofiness on Instagram at Nick Goepper.
—Outside Online, 31 Dec. 2025
Yet the boyish enthusiasm and goofiness that chess fans had come to know from his commentary and YouTube videos was no longer evident.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
My favorite moments happen when Blake leans into the goofiness of his online persona while moving away from the type of gimmicky rap he’s known for and digging deeper into the pop-rap and guitar-driver melodies he’s always explored.
—Donald Morrison, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2026
Little kids are especially talented at the sort of goofiness that gets everyone giggling with joy.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 13 Mar. 2026
Instead, any attempt by Gyllenhaal at conveying a message is drowned out by her film’s overwhelming goofiness.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
While social media was, and continues to be, a hotbed of culture-war goofiness, people yelling about lentils in the comments section of Jezebel hardly accounts for the rise of RFK Jr.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Johnson delights in playing the role of lovable buffoon in the locker room, but his goofiness has purpose.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
And follow his skiing adventrues and hilarious goofiness on Instagram at Nick Goepper.
—Outside Online, 31 Dec. 2025
Yet the boyish enthusiasm and goofiness that chess fans had come to know from his commentary and YouTube videos was no longer evident.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goofiness
Noun
-
The childishness of his expressions infantilized a genuinely vicious regime, painting it as more peevish than petrifying.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The actor relishes all aspects of Dahl’s childishness, and the humanity within the beast emerges in small moments.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The long-running showcase features 7-10 minute sets from hungry, hard-working comics such as Nic Dean, Lane Lonion, Lizzy Wolfson, Sam Ellefson, Phil Corridor, Kate McLachlan, Mitch Jones and Austin Black, with Roy corralling the hilarity.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The La Costa Canyon production features the School Edition, specially adapted for family-friendly audiences while preserving the hilarity and high-energy spectacle of the original.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The two no longer spar on air, so expect mirth rather than rancor at Foxwoods’ Premier Theater.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
-
From arena-filling funnymen to big-name package tours, there will be plenty of mirth and mayhem in local venues.—
Bob Mehr,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As a teen-ager listening to folk music in London pubs, I’d been attracted to the instrument’s nimble, tinkling cheerfulness, its being on the margins, not too demanding, perhaps.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Lastly, yellow tulips symbolize cheerfulness, happiness, and optimism.—
Michelle Mastro,
Architectural Digest,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In a film that nimbly walks the tightrope between lightheartedness and weightlessness, Jerry and Mabel’s antagonistic relationship ends up proving the unexpected core of the story.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Hundreds of fans commented on social media, either expressing concern or responding with lightheartedness.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
New York with aplomb, expressing glee about the network being able to keep the project a secret.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Laptop twee tries to pretend those simpler times are accessible, which makes for exaggerated, juvenile glee—a dishonest document of 2026, but a wildly appealing one.—
Samuel Hyland,
Pitchfork,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The crowd gives a sense of international joviality that makes for excellent campfire conversation come nightfall.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The next day, standing below the balcony of the Lorraine Motel where the team was staying in Memphis, King yelled down at Jackson in joviality, as if to mitigate the outburst, inviting him to dinner.—
Johanna Neuman,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And with that same energy, my wife and I trodded further into the fair in hot pursuit of merriment and wonder.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Nowadays there is less merriment, sunk as Moscow is in a combination of Putin stagnation, the Ukraine war, and the techno-feudalism that is making serfs of all of us in a world owned by billionaires pumping propaganda through the black boxes in the palm of our hands.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Goofiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goofiness. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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