1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
I don't want to be partnered on the project with that doofus
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
that actor invariably plays a doofus on screen but he's anything but one in real life
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of doofus
Besides, there’s the telephone: It’s listed under Dickie’s address and easily findable, even by an apparent doofus like Freddie Miles.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
Moten makes Maximus a wonderfully endearing doofus, and Arias brings a mournful cynicism to Norm, who seems to be the only resident of Vault 33 who was born without an inherent sense of purpose.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2024
Tom comes off as a shallow bully at first, and then as a bumbling doofus out of his depth, and occasionally as a massively petty middle-manager desperate for approval.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Apr. 2023
Boy, had this doofus messed up.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for doofus 
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
Moten makes Maximus a wonderfully endearing doofus, and Arias brings a mournful cynicism to Norm, who seems to be the only resident of Vault 33 who was born without an inherent sense of purpose.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2024
Tom comes off as a shallow bully at first, and then as a bumbling doofus out of his depth, and occasionally as a massively petty middle-manager desperate for approval.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Apr. 2023
Boy, had this doofus messed up.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for doofus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doofus
Noun
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Both arenas are designed around performers, sometimes made to look the fool and other times a noble voice of the people, but where one lands always depends on the moment in which a joke or plea is delivered.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Don’t let the shiny patent black leather fool you, though.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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An underrated gem — not enough people have seen this top-tier season — Squirrels Trip has some fabulous vocals, very funny lyrics, a heavy dose of stupid, and an engaging story.—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
19 Apr. 2024
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The stupid!—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 July 2021
Noun
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In a preview clip exclusive to Entertainment Weekly, Maddie and Josh (Bryan Safi) take a call that leads police sergeant Athena (Angela Bassett) on a wild goose chase.—
Patrick Gomez,
EW.com,
4 Feb. 2025
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Tweet of the week: 1 Tweet of the week: 2 A wild goose chase What are the most common reasons for a football match being postponed?—
Tim Spiers,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Doofus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doofus. Accessed 24 Feb. 2025.
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