ENGLISH
REFERENCE

goof up

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford American English Informal Slang

phr. v.. to make a silly mistake or fail at something because you were not careful.

phr. v.. to commit a blunder or perform a task poorly; typically implies a lack of focus or competence in a specific instance.


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.

Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
goof + up (+ object)
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.

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