goof

English

Etymology

Perhaps from dialectal English goff (“foolish clown”), from earlier goffe, in which case further etymology is uncertain.

Perhaps from Middle English goffen (“to speak in a frivolous manner”), possibly from Old English gaf, ġegaf (“base; wanton; lewd”, adj), ġegaf (“buffoonery; scurrility”, noun), gaffetung, golfettung (“buffoonery; mockery”). Compare English dialectal gauffin (“lightheaded; foolish; giddy”), Scots gaff, gawf (“to talk loudly; babble”), Scots gaffaw (“a loud laugh”).

Alternatively, perhaps from Middle French goffe (“awkward; stupid”). Compare also Spanish gofo, Italian goffo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡuːf/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːf

Noun

goof (plural goofs)

1. (US, informal) A mistake or error.

   I made a goof in that last calculation.

   Synonyms: blooper, boo-boo, error, faux pas, fluff, gaffe, lapse, mistake, slip, stumble, thinko; see also Thesaurus:error

   1. (US, cinematography, informal) An error made during production which finds its way into the final release.
2. (US, Canada, MTE, informal) A foolish and/or silly person; a goofball.

   Your little brother is a total goof.

3. (Canada, prison slang) A rapist.

Translations

Verb

goof (third-person singular simple present goofs, present participle goofing, simple past and past participle goofed)

1. (US) To make a mistake.

   It's my fault. I goofed.

   • 1986 August 9, “Attention Art World”, in Gay Community News, page 13:

     GCN is in a sticky situation because we goofed and bought 10 pounds of a type of wax that we cannot use.

2. (US) To engage in mischief.

   Synonym: goof around

   We were just goofing by painting the neighbor's cat green.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:make a mistake

Translations

Derived terms

Anagrams

• Fogo, fogo