Phrasal verb
goof up
Definition
phrasal verb. to make a silly mistake or fail at something because you were not careful.
phrasal verb. to commit a blunder or perform a task poorly; typically implies a lack of focus or competence in a specific instance.
Examples
“I really goofed up the interview by arriving late.”
“The baker goofed up the order and sent a chocolate cake instead of a vanilla one.”
“Although the project was nearly finished, the intern goofed up the final data entry, forcing the entire team to stay late and recalibrate the results.”
Examples
simple
“I really goofed up the interview by arriving late.”
contextual
“The baker goofed up the order and sent a chocolate cake instead of a vanilla one.”
complex
“Although the project was nearly finished, the intern goofed up the final data entry, forcing the entire team to stay late and recalibrate the results.”
Usage
can be used with or without a direct object.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'mess up' or 'screw up'; 'goof up' is slightly more lighthearted and less harsh than 'screw up', though both are informal.
Pitfall
He goofed the plan up.
He goofed up the plan.
while technically possible to separate, 'goof up' is most commonly used as an inseparable unit when followed by a noun object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
goof + up (+ object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/goof-up