Phrasal verb
goof around
Definition
phrasal verb. to spend time behaving in a silly or lazy way, often to have fun or avoid work.
phrasal verb. to engage in frivolous or playful behavior; to waste time or act in a lighthearted, non-serious manner.
Examples
“The kids are goofing around in the garden.”
“Stop goofing around and finish your homework before your father gets home.”
“While the manager was away at the conference, the junior staff spent most of the afternoon goofing around instead of filing the reports.”
Examples
simple
“The kids are goofing around in the garden.”
contextual
“Stop goofing around and finish your homework before your father gets home.”
complex
“While the manager was away at the conference, the junior staff spent most of the afternoon goofing around instead of filing the reports.”
Usage
highly informal and usually implies that the person should be doing something more productive.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'mess around' or 'fool around'; 'goof around' is specifically American in origin and carries a slightly more innocent, playful connotation.
Pitfall
They were goofing around the work.
They were goofing around at work.
this phrasal verb is usually intransitive; you do not goof around 'a thing', you goof around 'at' a place or 'with' someone.
Phrasal verb
Particles
around
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
goof + around
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/goof-around