goof up

See also: goof-up

English

Pronunciation

Audio (General Australian): (file)

Verb

goof up (third-person singular simple present goofs up, present participle goofing up, simple past and past participle goofed up)

(slang) To make a mistake.
If I go near a skateboard, I'm sure I'm just going to goof up and fall off.
(transitive, slang) To introduce problems to or damage through incompetence.
I tried to fix it, but I think I just goofed it up some more.

Usage notes

The object of the transitive verb comes between "goof" and "up", so "I goofed it up" is correct, and *"I goofed up it" is not.

Synonyms

cock up (UK), foul up, fuck up (taboo), screw up
balls up (taboo), bollocks up (UK, taboo), bugger up (UK, taboo) cock up (UK), foul up, fuck up (taboo), mess up, screw up

Derived terms

goof-up

Translations

to make a mistake

French: gaffer (fr), gâcher (fr)
German: vermurksen (de), verpfuschen (de)
Swedish: tabba sig (sv), dabba sig (sv), klanta sig (sv)