doofus
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English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Perhaps an alteration of earlier goofus (first attested in the 1920s), due to influence from Scots doof (“simpleton”). Scots doof is derived from Low German doof (“deaf”), which has a secondary sense: "idiotic". The Low Saxon word is cognate with English deaf.
Some have proposed that perhaps dupe played some kind of role in the development of doofus as well.
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]doofus (plural doofuses or doofi)
- (slang, derogatory, sometimes affectionately humorous) A person with poor judgment and taste; a foolish or silly person.
- Synonym: dingus
- Stocks Genius or Dot-Com Doofus? – Wired News
- Danny is such a doofus!
- 1998, Ann Rule, “In the Name of Love”, in In the Name of Love and Other True Cases: Ann Rule's Crime Files Volume 4, page 185:
- Nichols had called Bonilla a doofus who was too damn stupid to realize that he was being taken by a hooker with a convincing sob story.
Even if Steve was a doofus, Nichols and Rand were quite willing to work for him as long as he had money.
- 2000, Roger L. Welsch, Love, Sex and Tractors[1], page 16:
- They weren't excited about acquiring new information; they were relieved to find out they aren't the only doofuses (or maybe the word is "doofi") in the world of rusty machinery.
- 2005 October 17, Kevin Amorin, Mewsday, quoted in 2007, Troth Wells, T-Shirt, page 14,
- Being too young to attend a show on Bowie's 1983 Serious Moonlight tour, I did what any underage doofus would do. I bought a concert T-shirt – three-quarter-length blue sleeves, image of Major Tom himself on the front.
- 2009, B. K. Holway, When Jack Was with Us[2], page 115:
- "I never seen so many doofuses in one place!"
"That's doofi, Krakauer. Sorry to correct you."
- 2014, G. Richard Bozarth, Bible Tales for Ages 18 and Up[3], page 219:
- "No problem. You get a bimbo babe who's engaged to a doofus who will fall for the virgin birth line and still marry her. […] However, I don't think a doofus fiancé will be hard to find; there's no shortage of doofuses on the earth."
Synonyms
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[edit]Categories:
- English terms derived from Scots
- English terms derived from Low German
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/uːfəs
- Rhymes:English/uːfəs/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- English slang
- English derogatory terms
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- English terms of address
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