goof - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (2024)

See also: Goof

1 English
- 1.1 Etymology
- 1.2 Pronunciation
- 1.3 Noun
  - 1.3.1 Translations
- 1.4 Verb
  - 1.4.1 Synonyms
  - 1.4.2 Translations
- 1.5 Derived terms
- 1.6 Anagrams

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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[edit]

IPA^(key): /ɡuːf/
Audio (AU) (file)
Rhymes: -uːf

Noun[edit]

goof (plural goofs)

(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.
(US, Canada, MTE, informal) A foolish and/or silly person; a goofball.
Your little brother is a total goof.
See Also
Here's What Causes Lag in Games (& How to Fix It) - Race Communications Response Lag: What It Is and How It Works What are lead and lag time in project management?Time lag Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
(Canada, prison slang) A rapist.

Translations[edit]

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 testam
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

Verb[edit]

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

(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.
(US) To engage in mischief.
Synonym: goof around
We were just goofing by painting the neighbor's cat green.