oaf

noun

ˈōf

plural oafs

: a stupid person : boob

a thoughtless, clueless oaf

New York Times

: a big clumsy slow-witted person

Get out of my way, you big oaf.

oafish

ˈō-fish

adjective

oafishly adverb

oafishness noun

Did you know?

Oaf Has a Fanciful History

A long time ago in England, it was believed that elves sometimes secretly exchanged their babies for human babies. This was used as an explanation when parents found themselves with a baby that failed to meet expectations or desires: these parents believed that their real baby had been stolen by elves and that a changeling had been left in its place. The label for such a child was auf, or alfe, (meaning "an elf's or a goblin's child"), which was later altered to form our present-day oaf. Although the linguistic history is not entirely clear, auf is likely from the Middle English alven, elven, meaning "elf" or "fairy." Today, the word oaf is no longer associated with babies and is instead applied to anyone who appears especially unintelligent or graceless.

Example Sentences

it's not polite to call your brother a stupid oaf anyone who took him for an oaf and tried to cheat him would be in for a nasty surprise

Recent Examples on the Web Jeremy Allen White stars as a famous chef who returns to Chicago to take over his late brother’s beef joint, and he and his new co-workers — including Ayo Edebiri’s newcomer and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s stubborn oaf — form a system that, usually, works.

Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 7 July 2022 Austin Theory’s character is literally an oaf who made another foolish decision that led to Johnny Gargano’s loss.

Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021 Nowhere in Hansen’s pages is the impulsive, autocratic oaf seen by many of Castro’s critics.

Steve Donoghue, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2019 Love truly is an open door with this inflatable oaf.

Isabel Garcia, House Beautiful, 4 Dec. 2019 No one who touched the ball in the opposing penalty area as often as Kane was as good at not losing possession, showing that a target man doesn’t have to be a lumbering oaf whose primary skill is measuring in at over 6-foot-3.

Jonathan Clegg, WSJ, 18 June 2018 For us straight dudes, however, being big and hairy means getting thought of as an ape—a big, dumb, smelly oaf.

Dan Savage, Chicago Reader, 7 Feb. 2018 In Fitzpatrick, Doyle has created an extraordinarily creepy antagonist: a bully who plays dumb but always gets under the hero’s skin, a clumsy oaf who nevertheless can disappear like a cat into the darkness.

J. Robert Lennon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2017 Though comic buffoons and yokels are scattered through a number of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Lear’s universe is relentlessly bleak, and the Fool, despite his jingling, is neither oaf nor jester.

Cynthia Ozick, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2017 See More

oafish

adjective

as in stupid

not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily far from being oafish, the professional wrestler was in fact a college graduate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

stupid
dumb
slow
simple
thick
doltish
ignorant
foolish
dull
dopey
idiotic
witless
unintelligent
gormless
dense
dunderheaded
thickheaded
airheaded
pinheaded
vacuous
obtuse
fatuous
brainless
boneheaded
dorky
mindless
dim-witted
silly
knuckleheaded
lunkheaded
bonehead
lamebrain
dim
irrational
slow-witted
senseless
half-witted
chuckleheaded
unreasonable
empty-headed
unsmart
opaque
soft
softheaded
dopy
moronic
thick-witted
mad
birdbrained
insane
bubbleheaded
cretinous
lamebrained
brain-dead
crazy
imbecile
weak-minded
lunatic
idiotical
simpleminded
feebleminded
imbecilic
absurd
fool
unintellectual
uneducated
unthinking
illiterate
uninformed
looney
lowbrow
daffy
dippy
zany
daft
dotty
loony
tomfool
screwball
asinine
untaught
nonsensical
kooky
cuckoo
illogical
unwise
wacky
nutty
sappy
harebrained
cockeyed
preposterous
invalid
crackpot
fallacious
whacky
kookie
half-baked
balmy
boobish
featherheaded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

intelligent
clever
brilliant
brainy
smart
nimble
quick
apt
ingenious
sharp
bright
acute
resourceful
wise
intellectual
keen
savvy
sagacious
astute
fast
cerebral
erudite
perceptive
supersmart
scholarly
hyperintelligent
quick-witted
thinking
knowledgeable
insightful
sharp-witted
skilled
wily
literate
discerning
keen
cunning
knowing
sage
perspicacious
shrewd
ultrasmart
crafty
sapient
educated
highbrow
trained
learned
informed
sound
percipient
sensible
prudent
reasonable
judicious
rational
logical
well-read
sane
foxy
valid
schooled

单词	oafish
释义	oaf noun ˈōf plural oafs 1 : a stupid person : boob a thoughtless, clueless oaf New York Times 2 : a big clumsy slow-witted person Get out of my way, you big oaf. oafish ˈō-fish adjective oafishly adverb oafishness noun Did you know? Oaf Has a Fanciful History A long time ago in England, it was believed that elves sometimes secretly exchanged their babies for human babies. This was used as an explanation when parents found themselves with a baby that failed to meet expectations or desires: these parents believed that their real baby had been stolen by elves and that a changeling had been left in its place. The label for such a child was auf, or alfe, (meaning "an elf's or a goblin's child"), which was later altered to form our present-day oaf. Although the linguistic history is not entirely clear, auf is likely from the Middle English alven, elven, meaning "elf" or "fairy." Today, the word oaf is no longer associated with babies and is instead applied to anyone who appears especially unintelligent or graceless. Synonyms clod clodhopper gawk hulk lout lubber lug lump Neanderthal palooka See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences it's not polite to call your brother a stupid oaf anyone who took him for an oaf and tried to cheat him would be in for a nasty surprise Recent Examples on the Web Jeremy Allen White stars as a famous chef who returns to Chicago to take over his late brother’s beef joint, and he and his new co-workers — including Ayo Edebiri’s newcomer and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s stubborn oaf — form a system that, usually, works. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 7 July 2022 Austin Theory’s character is literally an oaf who made another foolish decision that led to Johnny Gargano’s loss. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021 Nowhere in Hansen’s pages is the impulsive, autocratic oaf seen by many of Castro’s critics. Steve Donoghue, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2019 Love truly is an open door with this inflatable oaf. Isabel Garcia, House Beautiful, 4 Dec. 2019 No one who touched the ball in the opposing penalty area as often as Kane was as good at not losing possession, showing that a target man doesn’t have to be a lumbering oaf whose primary skill is measuring in at over 6-foot-3. Jonathan Clegg, WSJ, 18 June 2018 For us straight dudes, however, being big and hairy means getting thought of as an ape—a big, dumb, smelly oaf. Dan Savage, Chicago Reader, 7 Feb. 2018 In Fitzpatrick, Doyle has created an extraordinarily creepy antagonist: a bully who plays dumb but always gets under the hero’s skin, a clumsy oaf who nevertheless can disappear like a cat into the darkness. J. Robert Lennon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2017 Though comic buffoons and yokels are scattered through a number of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Lear’s universe is relentlessly bleak, and the Fool, despite his jingling, is neither oaf nor jester. Cynthia Ozick, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2017 See More Word History Etymology alteration of auf, alfe goblin's child, probably from Middle English alven, elven elf, fairy, from Old English elfen nymphs; akin to Old English ælf elf — more at elf First Known Use 1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition oaf noun ˈōf : a stupid or awkward person oafish adjective as in stupid not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily far from being oafish, the professional wrestler was in fact a college graduate Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance stupid dumb slow simple thick doltish ignorant foolish dull dopey idiotic witless unintelligent gormless dense dunderheaded thickheaded airheaded pinheaded vacuous obtuse fatuous brainless boneheaded dorky mindless dim-witted silly knuckleheaded lunkheaded bonehead lamebrain dim irrational slow-witted senseless half-witted chuckleheaded unreasonable empty-headed unsmart opaque soft softheaded dopy moronic thick-witted mad birdbrained insane bubbleheaded cretinous lamebrained brain-dead crazy imbecile weak-minded lunatic idiotical simpleminded feebleminded imbecilic absurd fool unintellectual uneducated unthinking illiterate uninformed looney lowbrow daffy dippy zany daft dotty loony tomfool screwball asinine untaught nonsensical kooky cuckoo illogical unwise wacky nutty sappy harebrained cockeyed preposterous invalid crackpot fallacious whacky kookie half-baked balmy boobish featherheaded Antonyms & Near Antonyms intelligent clever brilliant brainy smart nimble quick apt ingenious sharp bright acute resourceful wise intellectual keen savvy sagacious astute fast cerebral erudite perceptive supersmart scholarly hyperintelligent quick-witted thinking knowledgeable insightful sharp-witted skilled wily literate discerning keen cunning knowing sage perspicacious shrewd ultrasmart crafty sapient educated highbrow trained learned informed sound percipient sensible prudent reasonable judicious rational logical well-read sane foxy valid schooled See More
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oaf

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

noun

adjective