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View synonyms for oaf

oaf

[ ohf ]

noun

  1. a clumsy, stupid person; lout.

    Synonyms: boor, churl

  2. a simpleton; dunce; blockhead.

    Synonyms: ninny, dolt

  3. Archaic.
    1. a deformed or mentally deficient child.
    2. a changeling.


oaf

/ əʊf /

noun

  1. a stupid or loutish person


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Derived Forms

  • ˈoafishness, noun
  • ˈoafishly, adverb
  • ˈoafish, adjective

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Other Words From

  • oafish adjective
  • oafish·ly adverb
  • oafish·ness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of oaf1

1615–25; variant of auf, Middle English alfe, Old English ælf elf; cognate with German Alp nightmare

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Word History and Origins

Origin of oaf1

C17: variant of Old English ælf elf

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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

He’s clearly a dim bulb, there’s very little going on upstairs, and he’s something of an oaf.

From Time

The big oaf is a couch potato, not a leader for the blind, or for the seeing.

Shakespeare refers to elves as ouphes, which is the same word as oaf and was formerly spelt aulf.

Gerda was out there still, with her brother and the oaf—whose name, Forrester had discovered, was Alvin Sherdlap.

Strange to say, the oaf seemed to be shedding tears and the quick sympathy went out from Emily's bosom, in spite of the past.

Then the oaf rose and looked down upon his work, with a childish pleasure.

The oaf began muttering in a low, indistinct murmur, like one soothing a child.

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OAoafish