oafish

Definition of oafishnext
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily far from being oafish, the professional wrestler was in fact a college graduate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of oafish His last moments portray him too much as an oafish simpleton, which undercuts both Leela’s brilliance and Krish’s leadership instincts, and moves the the play towards devices that prioritize humor over organic truth. David John Chávez, Mercury News, 17 July 2026 In a movie about two women who intuitively understand each other, Brandt and Trebs are charmingly oafish as men who are eager to fix a dishwasher but less keen on how to repair trauma. Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026 But there’s value to the subtle, occasional mention of an appropriate insider name, a gesture that’s more like a secret handshake than the work of an oafish show-off. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2025 Amin, who ruled Uganda for eight years, is usually remembered as a cartoon villain, with an oafish sense of humor that only made his cruelty more unsettling. Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oafish
Adjective
  • America’s Semiquincentennial was celebrated across the country this summer with big, dumb, gluttonous fun.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But the attention on Cunningham’s comments, the contrived outrage over a fictional trans athlete draft and dumb stunts by former NBA players may have helped drive more folks toward watching the league’s games.
    Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Video games are one of the world’s most dominant storytelling mediums, yet the writing is often dismissed — not always unfairly — as melodramatic, overly serious and occasionally very stupid.
    Gene Park, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Bonnell The enthusiast’s approach Bonnell’s team uses matters because electric motorcycles have an annoying tendency to make power delivery either spectacularly good or spectacularly stupid.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • In fact, starting too early often has more downsides than taking it slow.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • But so far, the economy has grown at roughly 2% annually, slower than the gains during the Biden administration.
    Josh Boak, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • It’s still built with comfort in mind, thanks to the flowy material and stretchy elastic waistbands of the pants and top, but has a simple cut that can be dressed up or down easily.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This converts touch from a simple collision-detection mechanism into an active source of information for aerial navigation, positioning, and grasp control.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Mulch Leaves Regularly A thick layer of leaves can smother grass.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The day before, thick smoke blanketed Spain’s third-biggest city.
    Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Oafish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oafish. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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