1
as in hulk
a big clumsy often slow-witted person
it's not polite to call your brother a stupid oaf
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
anyone who took him for an oaf and tried to cheat him would be in for a nasty surprise
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oaf
Hackman’s aggravation early on that directors didn’t seek out and exploit his comic and even improv talents was handled unforgettably in his portrayal of Superman villain Lex Luthor, a flamboyant oaf of Trumpian proportions.
—
Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2025
As women have enjoyed more economic opportunities, they’re less often forced to marry some oaf who gets violent after a few drinks — and, anyway, what self-respecting woman with independent means would want to marry, say, a fan of Andrew Tate?
—Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
However, the main resident of the island where the adventure takes place is — surprise, surprise — the large and lethargic blueish oaf known as Snorlax.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 July 2023
Curry in particular is well known for portraying villains (It, Ferngully, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), but doesn't always strike the right balance as the loveable patriarchal oaf.
—Lee Escobedo, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for oaf
Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2025
As women have enjoyed more economic opportunities, they’re less often forced to marry some oaf who gets violent after a few drinks — and, anyway, what self-respecting woman with independent means would want to marry, say, a fan of Andrew Tate?
—Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
However, the main resident of the island where the adventure takes place is — surprise, surprise — the large and lethargic blueish oaf known as Snorlax.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 July 2023
Curry in particular is well known for portraying villains (It, Ferngully, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), but doesn't always strike the right balance as the loveable patriarchal oaf.
—Lee Escobedo, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for oaf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oaf
Noun
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In its place rose the grandiose Palace of the Parliament—a neoclassical hulk that is the second-largest administrative building in the world, surpassed only by the Pentagon.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Known for his muscular build and hulk-like roles in Hollywood as much as his political record, perhaps even more so, Schwarzenegger is an icon in the bodybuilding universe.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.—
Colm Tóibín,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
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This drunk moron — quite different from his character in the novel — bears a ton of blame.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Semifinalists earn 750,000 euros and first round losers get 87,000 euros.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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With the win, the Hornets advance to take on the loser of Wednesday’s play-in tournament matchup between the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
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The scale of the headloss was best summed up by Luis Suarez attempting to reason with Messi, before the Argentine did anything on the Suarez scale of stupid.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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At that point in time, Ari had also developed a lump in her neck.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
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Very hard, small lumps or watery, soupy liquid are both cause for concern.—
Andrea Muraskin,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There are big box store flash mobs, horses, prat falls and, of course, lots and lots of screaming.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
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As Ray Winstone might say, what a prat.—
Holman W. Jenkins,
WSJ,
29 Mar. 2022
Noun
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There’s a maddening human truth tucked into the fact that everyone — from Lebedev’s forceful, hopeful young daughter Sasha (Maya Shoham) to the lout Borkin, whom Labbadia embodies irresistibly as a kind of Bronx-y hustler — is drawn to this man in free fall.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
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Less impactful but notable, Riley added Jimmy Butler to join the Bam Adebayo/Tyler Herro core in 2020, though Butler fell short of delivering a championship before eventually pouting his way lout of town and being traded one year ago, last Feb. 6.—
Greg Cote
January 30,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For starters, there are the cost savings of getting one of these not-so-in-demand mutts.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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Much of the rising interest is tied to claims that these mixed pooches possess more desirable aspects than many purebreeds or mutts.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oaf. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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