Illustration of muff
muff
1 of 3noun (1)
ˈməf 
: a warm tubular covering for the hands
muff
2 of 3verb
muffed; muffing; muffs
transitive verb
1
: to handle awkwardly
2
: to fail to hold (a ball) when attempting a catch
intransitive verb
1
: to act or do something stupidly or clumsily
2
: to muff a ball compare fumble
muff
3 of 3noun (2)
1
: a bungling performance
2
: a failure to hold a ball in attempting a catch
Synonyms
Verb
- blow
- bobble
- boggle
- bollix (up)
- boot
- botch
- bugger (up)
- bumble
- bungle
- butcher
- dub
- flub
- fluff
- foozle
- foul up
- fumble
- goof (up)
- louse up
- mangle
- mess (up)
- muck up
- murder
- screw up
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He muffed his chance for a promotion. The outfielder muffed an easy catch.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Dutch mof, from Middle French moufle mitten, from Medieval Latin muffula
Verb
probably from muff entry 1
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1599, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1846, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
muff 1 of 2
noun
ˈməf
: a soft thick cover into which both hands can be placed to protect them from cold
muff
2 of 2verb
muffed; muffing
: to make a mistake in doing or handling
He muffed an easy catch.
muffed
verb
as in fumbled
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way muffed the repair job and had to do it again Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- fumbled
- blew
- flubbed
- bobbled
- botched
- bungled
- dubbed
- booted
- mangled
- fluffed
- ruined
- murdered
- butchered
- bumbled
- destroyed
- spoiled
- marred
- boggled
- screwed up
- mucked up
- fouled up
- loused up
- damaged
- injured
- blundered
- foozled
- wrecked
- mutilated
- muddled
- hurt
- flawed
- impaired
- buggered (up)
- harmed
- bollixed (up)
- goofed (up)
- blemished
- blighted
- vitiated
- messed (up)
- mismanaged
- mishandled
- piffled
- spoilt
- gummed (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rectified
- remedied
- improved
- enhanced
- helped
- ameliorated
- refined
- reformed
- repaired
- fixed
- bettered
- meliorated
- doctored
- patched
- reconditioned
- renovated
- revamped
- provincialities
- provinciality
- provincialization
- provincializations
- provincialize
- provincialized
- provincializes
- provincializing
- provincially
- provincials
- provinciate
- provinculum
- provine
- provined
- provines
- proving
- proving ground
- proving out
- proving press
- proving ring
- provining
- proviral
- provirus
- proviruses
- provision