# goof

/ˈɡuf/ (US) · /ɡˈuːf/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/goof
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a mistake

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

a silly or careless mistake.

For teachers: a minor, often careless error or oversight.

- The typo in the headline was a major goof that the editor missed.
- The accounting department admitted the missing decimal point was a simple goof, though it caused significant confusion during the audit.

### 2. a silly person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

a person who acts in a foolish or funny way.

For teachers: a person who behaves in a silly, clumsy, or lighthearted manner.

- He is such a goof, always making funny faces to make the kids laugh.
- Despite his reputation as a serious academic, he was a total goof at home, frequently performing slapstick routines for his family.

### 3. to make a mistake

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

to make a silly or careless error.

For teachers: to commit a blunder or make a careless mistake; often used with 'up'.

- I really goofed up the directions and we ended up in the wrong town.
- The technician goofed when he forgot to secure the safety latch, though fortunately no damage occurred to the equipment.

Usage: Often used as the phrasal verb 'goof up' when describing a specific failure.

### 4. to waste time

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

to spend time doing silly things or avoiding work.

For teachers: to spend time idly or engage in frivolous activity; typically used with 'off'.

- Stop goofing off and finish your homework before dinner.
- The supervisor warned the interns that they could not afford to goof off while the production line was running at full capacity.

Usage: Commonly appears as the phrasal verb 'goof off'.

## Examples

- I made a small goof on my first day at the office.
- He didn't realize he had made a goof until his boss pointed it out during the meeting.
- While the report was mostly accurate, a minor goof in the final calculation led to a significant overestimation of the project's total cost.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.