Meaning & use
a goofball
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“a goofball” is a form of “goofball”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A silly, funny person who often behaves in a foolish but harmless way.
Grammar: Countable and usually affectionate rather than cruel: my brother is such a goofball.
Patterns
- be a goofball
- such a goofball
My little brother is a total goofball — he makes everyone laugh at dinner.
She acts like a goofball in class, but her grades are excellent.
Don't worry about him; he's just a goofball, not a troublemaker.
nouncountableinformaldisapproving
A foolish or stupid person, said in a critical way.
Grammar: Countable; the tone depends on context and can sound insulting, so use it with care.
Patterns
- a bunch of goofballs
- call someone a goofball
The manager called the whole team a pack of goofballs after the mix-up.
Some goofball left the gate open and the dogs got out.
nouncountabletrademarkAmerican
A small round candy with a chewy center and a hard shell.
Grammar: Countable; in this sense it is often written with a capital letter as a brand name.
Patterns
- a box of goofballs
- chew a goofball
The kids spent their pocket money on a bag of goofballs.
He always keeps a few goofballs in his desk drawer.
Word forms
| plural | goofballs |
|---|
Common combinations
- a total goofball
- Everyone loves Sam; he's a total goofball.
- act like a goofball
- He acts like a goofball whenever the camera comes out.
- a bunch of goofballs
- The critics dismissed the cast as a bunch of goofballs.
- goofball comedy
- We watched a goofball comedy and laughed all evening.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clown
- A clown is funny on purpose and often performs for others; a goofball is simply silly by nature.
- fool
- Fool is a stronger, more negative word for someone who lacks sense; goofball is usually gentler and often affectionate.
- joker
- A joker likes playing tricks on people; a goofball is more about being silly than tricking anyone.
- silly
- Silly is an adjective, not a noun, so say 'a silly person' rather than 'a silly'.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: a goofball or goofy? a goofball or meatball?
a goofball vs goofy
Goofy is the adjective ('a goofy smile'); goofball is the noun for the person ('he's a goofball').
a goofball vs meatball
Meatball is food; goofball is a person or a candy. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'goofball' correctly and naturally.
Choose one answer.
Goofball is a countable noun for a silly, funny person, so 'such a goofball' fits. The other options use it as a verb or with a meaning it does not have; the verb you want there is 'goof off'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a goofball”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.