as in hacking (around)
to spend time doing nothing
returned home unannounced and found the au pair goofing off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goofing (off)
Verb
-
Instead, the board opts for the happy-go-lucky concert attendee kicking back a beer or two as its foil to scary THC use.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026 -
There’s nothing wrong with spending your vacation at the beach, on a shopping spree in Paris or New York, or kicking back at a fishing cabin.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In 2019, city employees began hanging about 500 trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets in the trees on Main Street every October.—
Elliott Harrell,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Orion Nebula Those viewing from a dark sky location may also notice a blurry patch of light hanging about 5 degrees below Orion's belt.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Bobby and Mickey were kicking around this idea of taking Grateful Dead music and modernizing it, technologically.—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The group didn’t know much at all about golf course development, turning to Google and ChatGPT to figure out the footprint of an average golf course, and kicking around ideas amongst themselves about who to call about design and architecture.—
Erik Matuszewski,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The contrast piping detail gives it something structured for the lounging expert, and takes the robe from being a symbol of laziness to a symbol of sustained self-care.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
2 Feb. 2026
-
The pieces are made of a soft, wrinkle-resistant material that’s comfortable for traveling or lounging at home.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Goofing (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goofing%20%28off%29. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
