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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oaf
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
Adding Paul into the mix as a bumbling oaf (and not even a particularly lovable one) creates an unnecessary love triangle.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2022
Jeremy Allen White stars as a famous chef who returns to Chicago to take over his late brother’s beef joint, and he and his new co-workers — including Ayo Edebiri’s newcomer and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s stubborn oaf — form a system that, usually, works.
—Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 7 July 2022
Austin Theory’s character is literally an oaf who made another foolish decision that led to Johnny Gargano’s loss.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021
See all Example Sentences for oaf 
Lee Escobedo, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2022
Adding Paul into the mix as a bumbling oaf (and not even a particularly lovable one) creates an unnecessary love triangle.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2022
Jeremy Allen White stars as a famous chef who returns to Chicago to take over his late brother’s beef joint, and he and his new co-workers — including Ayo Edebiri’s newcomer and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s stubborn oaf — form a system that, usually, works.
—Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 7 July 2022
Austin Theory’s character is literally an oaf who made another foolish decision that led to Johnny Gargano’s loss.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021
See all Example Sentences for oaf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oaf
Noun
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The hulk of metal moved silently through space, high above the blue Earth.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2025
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Having boy hulk Matthew Knies at the net front, to retrieve pucks and be a pain for the defence, is one positive step that’s been working.—
James Mirtle,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Coaching hire winners and losers: In all, seven teams made leadership changes at the top.—
Jim Reineking,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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No more participation trophies for Bill Plaschke! Los Angeles’ lovable loser nailed it by predicting the Eagles’ big win, ending his losing tradition that envied the Benoit Benjamin Clippers of the 1980s!—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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An underrated gem — not enough people have seen this top-tier season — Squirrels Trip has some fabulous vocals, very funny lyrics, a heavy dose of stupid, and an engaging story.—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
19 Apr. 2024
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The stupid!—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 July 2021
Noun
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Similar to Milla’s story on the show, Ainscough was diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma in 2008 following a biopsy of lumps from her left arm.—
Kelsie Gibson,
People.com,
6 Feb. 2025
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These crab cakes were not full of jumbo lump, but had claw and backfin meat and sold for ten cents.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As Ray Winstone might say, what a prat.—
Holman W. Jenkins,
WSJ,
29 Mar. 2022
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Through it all, however, the gal has retained a sort of grand hauteur, even while prat-falling into a bush.—
Lester Fabian Brathwaite,
EW.com,
24 Mar. 2022
Noun
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And when someone does cross the line, like the louts who doused cops in Harlem and Brownsville with water in 2019, most officers have shown remarkable restraint.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2024
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That’s the memorable insult that James Kennedy (the DJ of the group) hurled at Tom Sandoval (the resident lout) last season after Sandoval — who had a girlfriend — became romantically involved with Kennedy’s ex-girlfriend.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2024
Noun
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The article begins: Heather Massey brought Ladybird to the veterinarian when the 9-year-old mutt began having seizures.—
The Learning Network,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2025
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In Vermont, a fast-acting witness spotted a struggling 7-year-old mutt in trouble and waded into an icy river up to his waist to reunite the dog with its grateful owner.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This shortcoming extends to its assortment of villains who, despite including celebrity appearances like AEW wrestler Samoa Joe, fail to leave a memorable impression beyond being yet another obstacle on the way to the end credits.—
Isaiah Colbert,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2025
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More news: Warner Bros Delays 'The Batman 2' For a Third Time One of Batman's biggest foes is Clayface, a villain who can mold his body into a multitude of devastating shapes.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Oaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oaf. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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