oaf

noun

ˈōf 
Definition of oaf
1
as in hulk
a big clumsy often slow-witted person it's not polite to call your brother a stupid oaf

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person anyone who took him for an oaf and tried to cheat him would be in for a nasty surprise

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of oaf Buck is a loquacious, glad-handing oaf who has a boring way with a witty story, and is marked for death. — Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2025 As women have enjoyed more economic opportunities, they’re less often forced to marry some oaf who gets violent after a few drinks — and, anyway, what self-respecting woman with independent means would want to marry, say, a fan of Andrew Tate? — Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024 However, the main resident of the island where the adventure takes place is — surprise, surprise — the large and lethargic blueish oaf known as Snorlax. — Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 July 2023 Curry in particular is well known for portraying villains (It, Ferngully, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), but doesn't always strike the right balance as the loveable patriarchal oaf. — Lee Escobedo, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for oaf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oaf
  1. hulk
  2. moron
  3. loser
  4. stupid
  5. lump
  6. lout
  7. mutt
  8. villain
Noun
  • Water levels on the Danube River, the second longest in Europe, have dropped so low because of drought that the hulks of dozens of World War II German battleships — and even the remains of an ancient woolly mammoth — are emerging into view.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In the film, Russell wants a hulk of a man but doesn’t care about money, while Monroe transparently is looking for a man who can fuel her desire for diamonds.
    — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
Definition of hulk
Noun
  • God help us all if some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
  • Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • The winners and the losers Like any economic policy, tariffs won’t benefit all parties.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Payouts for the runner-up and semifinal losers have also declined relative to the overall purse in the past decade.
    — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of stupid
Noun
  • Tyman was immediately referred to a local hospital due to concerns about the lump.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Combine flour, ground almonds, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly so there are no lumps of sugar.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of lump
Noun
  • That self-deprecating description opens Tony, writer-director Matt Johnson’s movie about the one crazy summer that changed a thoughtless young lout’s life; for good measure, the quote does double duty as the tagline on the film’s poster.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • That isn’t enough to humble our black-eyed lout, but spending a few months as a dishwasher at The Flagship in exchange for getting to sleep on the head chef’s hammock soon will.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Definition of lout
Noun
  • But when the mutt chases a fox into the wilderness and doesn't return, Fielding and his father launch a massive search to recover him, growing closer together as a result.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Antonio Nowden, a neighbor who lives at the Kelly Road house, said April 1 that the dog in question, a mutt with brown fur and a white spot on its chest, is not his.
    — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of mutt
Noun
  • Furious drops the ball a bit in the interactions with Emma and Jay Easton, turning them into one-dimensional caricatures instead of complex villains, but honestly, this show isn’t really about them.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Saoirse Ronan is ready to step into the dark side and is doubling down on wanting to play a villain in the James Bond universe.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain

Browse Nearby Words

o's
oaf
oafish
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Oaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oaf. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All