goof

See also: 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

a mistake or error

• Bulgarian: гаф (bg) m (gaf)
• Estonian: viga
• Finnish: moka (fi), virhe (fi), munaus (fi)
• French: gaffe (fr) f
• Italian: sbaglio (it) m, errore (it) m
• Persian: گاف (fa) (gâf)
• Polish: babol (pl) m
• Portuguese: gafe (pt) f
• Russian: опло́шность (ru) f (oplóšnostʹ), оши́бка (ru) f (ošíbka)
• Swedish: misstag (sv) n, fel (sv) n, tabbe (sv) c

an error made during production which finds its way into the final release

• French: coquille (fr) f
• Portuguese: falha (pt) f

a foolish person

• Bulgarian: глупак (bg) m (glupak)
• Danish: tumpe ?
• Finnish: tollo (fi), hölmö (fi)
• French: boulet (fr) m
• Italian: tonto (it) m, fuori di testa m
• Polish: bęcwał (pl) m
• Portuguese: bobo (pt) m, tonto (pt) m
• Russian: дура́к (ru) m (durák), ду́рень (ru) m (dúrenʹ), болва́н (ru) m (bolván), остоло́п (ru) m (ostolóp), тупи́ца (ru) m or f (tupíca), крети́н (ru) m (kretín), лох (ru) m (lox)
• Swedish: dummerjöns (sv) c, dummer (sv) c, jöns (sv) c, dumbom (sv) c, dumskalle (sv) c, fårskalle (sv) c, ärthjärna (sv) c, nöt (sv) n, träskalle (sv) c, pappskalle (sv) c, dumsnut (sv) c, knäppskalle (sv) c, tok (sv) c, dåre (sv) c, stolle (sv) c, knasboll (sv) c, knäppgök (sv) c, tjockskalle (sv) c, trindskalle (sv) c, blådåre (sv) c, pucko (sv) n

child molester

• Russian: растли́тель (ru) m (rastlítelʹ), растли́тельница (ru) f (rastlítelʹnica) (малоле́тних), педофи́л (ru) m (pedofíl)
• Swedish: peddo (sv) n

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

to make a mistake

• Bulgarian: обърквам (bg) (obǎrkvam), оплесквам (bg) (opleskvam)
• Finnish: mokata (fi), möhliä (fi), tyriä (fi), töpätä (fi)
• German: fehlen (de)
• Italian: sbagliare (it), errare (it)
• Latin: erro (la)
• Russian: опростоволо́ситься (ru) pf (oprostovolósitʹsja), попада́ть впроса́к impf (popadátʹ vprosák), попа́сть впроса́к pf (popástʹ vprosák)
• Swedish: göra en tabbe, tabba (sv)

to engage in mischief

• Finnish: jekkuilla, keppostella (fi), metkuilla (fi), kolttostella
• Italian: prendere una cantonata

Derived terms

terms derived from goof

• goof around
• goof off
• goof on
• goof-off
• goof up
• goofball
• goofy

Anagrams

• Fogo, fogo