English Explanatory Dictionary

doofus

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A person with poor judgment and taste; a foolish or silly person.

Pronunciation

/ˈduːfəs/ en-us-doofus.ogg

Word forms

doofus doofuses doofi dufus

Etymology

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", with a secondary sense of "idiotic, stupid”). 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.

Synonyms

dingus boob dolt blockhead lowbrow oaf

Related words

doof doofy
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