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goof
goof around
to act silly. The kids were all goofing around, waiting for the bus. Stop goofing around!
goof off
to waste time. John is always goofing off. Quit goofing off and get to work!
goof on someone
Inf. to tease or kid someone. I don't believe you. I think you're just goofing on me.
goof someone or something up
Inf. to mess someone or something up; to ruin someone's plans; to make something nonfunctional. Who goofed this machine up? Who goofed up the machine?
goof up (on something)
Inf. to make an error with something; to blunder while doing something. Please don't goof up on this job. If you goof up one more time, you're finished.
goofed (up)
1. Inf. messed up; out of order. All my papers are goofed up. Everything on my desk is goofed. Who's been here?
2. Inf. confused; distraught. I'm sort of goofed up today. I think I'm coming down with something. I was up too late last night, and now I'm all goofed up.
goof off
to avoid work She spent most of the school day goofing off with her friends.
goof on somebody
to make jokes about someone She doesn't goof on old people, but her characters are certainly older and very odd.
Related vocabulary: make fun of somebody/somethinggoof on
Make fun of, mock, as in He was always goofing on his little brother. [Slang; mid-1900s]
goof up
Blunder, make a mistake, spoil. For example, I really goofed up and got all the dates wrong. This expression emerged in the military during World War II, along with the synonymous goof off. Quite often up is omitted, as in Sorry, I goofed. [Slang; c. 1940]
goof around
v. To act foolishly, playfully, or without a clear sense of purpose: The students who goofed around all semester failed the course.
goof off
v. To waste time, especially by acting foolishly or frivolously: The students spent their free time goofing off instead of working on the project.
goof up
v.1. To make a mistake, especially out of confusion or ignorance: You really goofed up by not telling your parents you were leaving. I didn't follow the instructions for the job carefully, so I goofed up.
2. To cause someone or something to blunder: The directions to the park were confusing and they goofed me up. You're not alone in getting lost; that fork in the road goofs up everybody.
3. To perform something badly; blunder in executing something: You really goofed up the spelling section of the test. The band didn't rehearse enough before the concert and really goofed the march up.
goof
(guf)1. n. a foolish oaf; a goofy person. Don’t be a goof. Get with it.
2. in. to use heroin or some other addictive drugs without intending to become addicted; to play around (with heroin). (Drugs.) Gert spent the first few years just goofing.
3. in. to scratch, nod, and slobber after an injection of heroin. (Drugs.) She has been goofing for an hour.
4. and goof up in. to make a blunder. This time, you goofed. I’m afraid I goofed up.
5. n. a blunder; an error. This goof is yours, not mine.
goof up
verbgoof off
1. and goof around in. to waste time. You guys are goofing off again! Get busy. Stop goofing around.
2. n. a time-waster; a jerk. (Usually goof-off.) I’m no goof-off, but I am no scholar either.
goof around
verbgoof on someone
in. to play a prank on someone; to involve someone in a deception. Hey, don’t goof on me. I’m your buddy!
goof something up
tv. to mess something up. I hope I don’t goof up the report again.
goofed (up)
1. mod. messed up; out of order. All my papers are goofed up.
2. mod. confused; distraught. I was up too late last night, and now I’m all goofed up.
3. mod. high on drugs. Bob’s a little goofed up after partying too much.
goofed
verbgoof-proof
1. mod. foolproof; not subject to misuse. This scheme is not goof-proof, but it’s pretty sound.
2. tv. to make something foolproof; to take action to see that something cannot be misused. See if this can be goof-proofed by Monday evening.