goofing
Acting the fool
Goofing is playful, unserious behavior—messing around instead of focusing on what you're supposed to be doing.
We spent the afternoon goofing instead of studying.
To be goofing on someone is to tease or mock them playfully.
The word carries a lighthearted tone, suggesting harmless fun rather than serious misconduct.
Tricking or joking
- clowningPlayful comic behavior
- horsing aroundEngaging in boisterous play
- monkeyingPlayful, aimless tampering
- larkingPlayful, carefree activity
romping · frolicking · cavorting · skylarking · roughhousing · hamming · mugging · capering
Teasing playfully
- jestingPlayful, unserious speech
- teasingPlayful, mild ridicule
- joshingPlayful mocking
- ribbingAffectionate verbal teasing
bantering · wisecracking · quipping · spoofing · razzing · needling · having someone on · pranking
Passing time idly
- lazingResting without aim
- idlingOperating without working
- dawdlingLeisurely time-wasting
- lollygaggingAimless time-wasting
dillydallying · puttering · messing around · wasting time · procrastinating · shirking · goldbricking · malingering
Failing through carelessness
- screwing upFailing through carelessness
- flubbingMaking careless errors
- bunglingMishandling through incompetence
- botchingDoing something poorly
fumbling · blowing it · dropping the ball · slipping up · making a mistake · erring · miscalculating · misstepping
fooling
Tricking or joking
- clowningPlayful comic behavior
- horsing aroundEngaging in boisterous play
- monkeyingPlayful, aimless tampering
larking · romping · frolicking · cavorting · skylarking · roughhousing · hamming · mugging · capering · prancing
kidding
Teasing playfully
ribbing · bantering · wisecracking · quipping · spoofing · razzing · needling · having someone on · pranking · yukking
loafing
Passing time idly
lollygagging · dillydallying · puttering · messing around · wasting time · procrastinating · shirking · goldbricking · malingering · slacking off
messing up
Failing through carelessness
- screwing upFailing through carelessness
- flubbingMaking careless errors
- bunglingMishandling through incompetence
botching · fumbling · blowing it · dropping the ball · slipping up · making a mistake · erring · miscalculating · misstepping · fouling up
- humorjoke, jokes, joking, comedy, comic
- fooling aroundjoking, kidding, jesting, fooling, teasing
- jokesjokes, joke, puns, one-liners, pun
- messing aroundfooling, horsing around, messing with, monkeying, playing around
- foolishnessfoolishness, silliness, foolish, stupid, folly
- mockerymockery, ridiculing, jeers, jeering, jibes
goofingcorrecting
Making accurate again
nailing it · getting it right · succeeding · excelling · hitting the mark
- goofing offIdling instead of working
- goofing aroundEngaging in silly behavior
- goofing onPlayfully teasing someone