as in to kill time
to spend time doing nothing
returned home unannounced and found the au pair goofing off
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goof-off
Noun
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Poker Face creator Rian Johnson wanted to set an episode of the Natasha Lyonne-starring slacker clairvoyant series in the world of minor-league baseball.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
16 June 2025 -
Likewise, Reuben’s increasing respect for Xavier, who turns out to have more going for him than his flaky slacker demeanor might indicate.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 June 2025
Noun
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The Athletic has a story filled with tables of draft picks by schools and conferences. USC immediately stands out as an underachiever.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Enough results had been collected to ensure the Championship’s perennial underachievers began the day sitting most comfortably but tension was still a travel companion on the 40-mile trip to the East Midlands.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Verb
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And while humans tend to veg out on the couch, canines typically only watch for short periods.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Making the choice to be social is especially difficult at the end of an exhausting day when your impulse may be to veg out on the couch.—
Allie Volpe,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Verb
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Chris Lake kicks back in a sprawling floor of a towering Los Angeles office building used mostly for storage, selecting one of the dozens of office chairs crowding the industrial space with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city’s west side.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
11 July 2025
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Well, maybe a nice shower and a piece of pie, but after the shower and the pie, kick back and relax.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Days spent lounging on the beach are typically followed by oceanside drinks and dancing at the lively, unpretentious Paddy’s Beach Club or the Windjammer Surf Bar.—
Bob Curley,
AFAR Media,
8 July 2025
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In early June, Bieber posted a cute snap of himself lounging with his feet up as his son held onto his leg.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Sizes Tablecloths should hang about 8-16 inches on each side for formal dining and about 3-6 inches on each side for casual dining.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
2 Oct. 2024
Verb
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In the photo, Spieth and his children's hands can be seen touching the little one, who is resting while wearing a blue onesie with trucks printed on it.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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And the King doesn’t seem inclined to stop his duties to rest.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Get our daily newsletter Yet Mr Schwarzman avoids footling with life’s foot-soldiers for a reason.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
19 Sep. 2019
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Last year an American startup called Swarm Technologies paid a footling $900,000 fine for sending four tiny satellites into orbit on an Indian rocket, having been denied permission to do so by the US Federal Communications Commission.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
17 July 2019
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Cite this Entry
“Goof-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof-off. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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