goofed; goofing; goofs
1
a
: to spend time idly or foolishly
—usually used with off
goofing off instead of working
b
: to engage in playful activity
—usually used with around
goofing around after school
2
: to make a usually foolish or careless mistake : blunder
—often used with up
: to make a mess of : bungle
—usually used with up
goofed up the assignment
Examples of goof in a Sentence
Noun
Don't be such a goof.
I made a major goof.
Verb
It was clear that someone had goofed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2025
The laidback energy resonated throughout the entire night, which featured minor goofs from Timothée Chalamet and Jessica Williams along with comical bits reuniting cast members from our favorite shows of the past.
—Brendan Le, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Mar. 2025
After that, Losse began regularly goofing on outdoor recreation in his standup routine, and also in his videos on Instagram.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for goof
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Noun
The Residence is an entertainingly chaotic goof, a dramedy that immediately sets a frantic tone that’s only occasionally varied in the seven episodes (out of eight total) sent to critics.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2025
The laidback energy resonated throughout the entire night, which featured minor goofs from Timothée Chalamet and Jessica Williams along with comical bits reuniting cast members from our favorite shows of the past.
—Brendan Le, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
Meet friends for coffee, a long lunch, happy hour and look for opportunities to socialize and goof off.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Mar. 2025
After that, Losse began regularly goofing on outdoor recreation in his standup routine, and also in his videos on Instagram.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for goof
Cite this Entry
“Goof.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goof. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
goof
1 of 2 noun1
: a silly or stupid person
2
goof
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to spend time foolishly
goofing off instead of working
b
: to engage in a playful activity
goofing around after school
3
: to make a mess of : bungle
goofed up the assignment
Etymology
Noun
probably an altered form of dialect word goff "simpleton"
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