The Meaning of Goofy: What It Is and How To Use It

Have you ever been confused by the definition of goofy? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word goofy, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word goofy mean?

According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language and Collins English Dictionary, the word goofy is an adjective that means done in an eccentric way or something that is silly and wacky. The adverb form of the word goofy is goofily. Goofy is two syllables – goo-fy, and the pronunciation of goofy is gufi. One can add the suffixes er and est to form the alternate word forms goofier and goofiest.

Goofy can also refer to the Walt Disney cartoon character, an anthropomorphic dog who wears a vest, a goofy hat, and pants. This Disney character stars in many animated cartoons where he often annoys Donald Duck and is a close friend of Mickey Mouse. He is always coming up with a wacky plan or silly idea. He also appeared in a series of comics and short series known as Goofy Shorts, as well as Mickey’s revue. He has been used extensively starting in the 1930s (Mickey’s Revue), 1940s and 1960s. He has made many an appearance in the house of mouse, including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, and other Walt Disney productions one might watch in a home theater. Some of these feature the slow-witted anthropomorphic dog in theatrical animation, with his last theatrical appearance since the early ’50s in How to Hook Up Your Home Theater in 2007. This funny animal cartoon character with a goofy laugh is one of many popular characters. Are you part of the Goof Troop? HAve you watched his own series of shorts?

There are many different languages that contain words that mean goofy. You may notice that several of these languages have translations of goofy that look similar. These are called cognates, which are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Burmese: မိုက်မဲ‎
  •  Latvian: muļķīgs‎, dumjš‎
  •  French: sot‎, insensé‎, idiot‎ (masc.), bête‎, fou‎ (masc.), stupide‎
  •  Khmer: ដែលភ្លីភ្លើ‎ (dael plii-pləə)
  •  Ido: stulta‎
  •  Polish: głupi‎
  •  Finnish: typerä‎, hölmö‎
  •  Spanish: niñito‎
  •  Italian: sciocco‎ (masc.)
  •  Hawaiian: kohu ʻole‎
  •  Indonesian: bodoh‎, konyol‎
  •  Czech: hloupý‎, pošetilý‎, bláhový‎
  •  German: doof‎
  •  Portuguese: bobo‎, tolo‎, ingénuo‎
  •  Armenian: հիմար‎, տխմար‎
  •  Latin: stultus‎
  •  Dutch: ondoordacht‎
  •  Japanese: 馬鹿げた‎ (bakageta), 他愛ない‎ (tawainai), 馬鹿‎ (ばか, baka)
  •  Hebrew: מטופש‎, טיפשי‎
  •  Catalan: ximple‎, ximplet‎, fava‎
  •  Mandarin: 愚蠢‎ (yúchǔn), 笨‎ (bèn), 傻‎ (shǎ), 糊塗‎, 糊涂‎ (hútu), 無聊‎, 无聊‎ (wúliáo), 憨痴‎ (hānchī)
  •  Greek: σαχλός‎, χαζός‎, ανόητος‎
  •  Manx: meecheeallagh‎
  •  Interlingua: fatue‎
  •  Arabic: سَخِيف‎
  •  Irish: aertha‎
  •  Russian: глу́пый‎
  •  Hindi: मूर्ख‎
  •  Marathi: फालतू‎
  •  Danish: dum‎
  •  Scottish Gaelic: amaideach‎, faoin‎

What are synonyms and antonyms of goofy?

In the English language, there are numerous different words that a person can choose to use in place of the word goofy. These are called synonyms, which are words that have the same definition as a given word. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your vocabulary and avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms is provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  light-minded
  •  imbecile
  •  cuckoo
  •  weird
  •  dotty
  •  dim-witted
  •  potty
  •  dizzy
  •  slow
  •  ditsy
  •  goofus
  •  kooky
  •  daft
  •  foolish
  •  dumb
  •  dippy
  •  empty-headed
  •  crackers
  •  sappy
  •  ironic
  •  giddy
  •  comical
  •  flighty
  •  funny
  •  demented
  •  silly
  •  idiot
  •  dim witted
  •  nonsensical
  •  senseless
  •  screwy
  •  buggy
  •  asinine
  •  nuts
  •  ditzy
  •  dolt
  •  mad
  •  insane
  •  cockamamie
  •  loony
  •  stupid
  •  crackpot
  •  mawkish
  •  yeasty
  •  birdbrained
  •  featherbrained
  •  half ass
  •  laughable
  •  harebrained
  •  half-assed
  •  puerile
  •  loopy
  •  imbecilic
  •  cockamamy
  •  whacky
  •  dopey
  •  scatterbrained
  •  mindless
  •  batty
  •  nutty
  •  fool
  •  bonkers
  •  obtuse
  •  dull
  •  frivolous
  •  ludicrous
  •  ignorant
  •  fatuous
  •  flaky
  •  moronic
  •  slow-witted
  •  inane
  •  idiotic
  •  futile
  •  doltish
  •  dense
  •  simpleton
  •  balmy
  •  sappier
  •  screwball
  •  bumbling
  •  light-headed
  •  crazy
  •  thick
  •  frothy
  •  haywire
  •  lunatic
  •  blockheaded
  •  fruity
  •  zany
  •  gump
  •  off one’s chump
  •  daffy
  •  absurd
  •  ridiculous
  •  brainless
  •  wacky
  •  barmy
  •  buffoonish
  •  witless

There are also numerous different words that mean the opposite of goofy. These opposite words are called antonyms. Learning antonyms is another great, quick, and easy way to expand your knowledge of the English language. This list of antonyms of goofy is also provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  rational
  •  sober
  •  calculating
  •  melancholy
  •  smart
  •  educated
  •  cunning
  •  careful
  •  deliberative
  •  august
  •  cute
  •  wiseass
  •  well-informed
  •  perceptive
  •  unfrivolous
  •  flippant
  •  smart-ass
  •  contemplative about oneself
  •  severe
  •  flinty
  •  sombre
  •  experienced
  •  no-nonsense
  •  conceptualized
  •  smart-aleck
  •  thoughtful
  •  distinguished
  •  sedate
  •  brainy
  •  contemplative
  •  knowing
  •  reasonable
  •  serious
  •  dignified
  •  clever
  •  knowledgeable
  •  cogitative
  •  conscious
  •  sagacious
  •  sapient
  •  staid
  •  tactful
  •  intelligent
  •  heavy
  •  witty
  •  earnest
  •  keen
  •  astute
  •  austere
  •  grasping
  •  advisable
  •  grim-faced
  •  excogitating
  •  pert
  •  sound
  •  erudite
  •  grave
  •  discreet
  •  sage
  •  roughest
  •  within reason
  •  foresighted
  •  smarty-pants
  •  facetious
  •  solemn
  •  scholarly
  •  judicious
  •  flip
  •  insightful
  •  fierce
  •  perspicacious
  •  grim
  •  informed
  •  aware
  •  sensible
  •  understanding
  •  discerning
  •  enlightened
  •  prudent
  •  sensing
  •  reflective
  •  appreciable
  •  sharp
  •  responsible
  •  taught
  •  smart-assed
  •  intuitive
  •  brainstorm
  •  sophic
  •  broody
  •  wary
  •  serious-minded
  •  smart-alecky
  •  psychologically sound
  •  fast
  •  sane
  •  crafty
  •  politic
  •  somber
  •  shrewd

How can the word goofy be used in a sentence?

The word goofy can be used in many ways in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to remember their definitions. You can also try making flashcards or quizzes for yourself to test your knowledge of the English language. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today! Below are several examples of goofy to get you started.

In a classic turn of events, the actress fell for the goofy skateboard guy with the wolfy smile. They entered into a 9-year relationship which takes a kind of work to continue.

Billingsley loved a goofy holiday movie. He began watching Christmas films in early November with a bug of cocoa and his little piggies nestled under a warm blanket. He gave the screen a doe-eyed glance just like he did as a child. He loved watching A Christmas Story and old Ramphie Parker. Their goofy charm made him happy.

His wide variety of mugs all contained goofy puns. In fact, it’s what the coffee shop was best known for. Customers always started on the right foot when they got to choose a silly mug.

She laughed at the goofy getup her little brother had on for some cockamamie reason. He was wearing a tall hat – a rumpled fedora – along with a turtle neck shirt and white gloves. He planned to impress a girl as a part of a comedy trio act at the middle school talent show.

Overall, the word goofy means silly or wacky. This can also refer to a Disney character.

Sources:

  1. Goofy | Collins English Dictionary
  2. goofy: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  3. Goofy synonyms – 418 Words and Phrases for Goofy | Power Thesaurus 
  4. Goofy antonyms – 140 Opposites of Goofy | Power Thesaurus