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Definition of oafish

oafish

/ˈoʊ.fɪʃ/
oaf · ish
Adverb:oafishly
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oafish Lexical Profile

oafish Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Rough, clumsy, unintelligent, or ill-mannered, like an oaf.

Example

"His oafish behavior at the formal dinner embarrassed everyone at the table."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for oafish
Antonyms
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• Rhymes for oafish

• Nearby Words

nyong
nyssa
oaf
oafish
oafishly
oafishness
oak

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from the 17th-century noun 'oaf' (originally spelled 'auf'), an alteration of Old Norse 'álfr' (elf), referring to a folktale changeling child left by fairies that was believed to be clumsy and dim-witted.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Oafish. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/oafish
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