oaf

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

oaf, n. [See Auf.].

•  Originally, an elf's child; a changeling left by fairies or goblins; hence, a deformed or foolish child; a simpleton; an idiot.  [1913 Webster]
•  A clumsy or awkward person.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

oaf, n. (pl. oafs)
1 an awkward lout.
2 a stupid person.

Derivative

oafish adj. oafishly adv. oafishness n.

Etymology

orig. = elf's child, var. of obs. auf f. ON {aacute}lfr elf

THESAURUS

oaf

babe, baboon, beast, blockhead, blunderbuss, blunderer, blunderhead, boob, booby, boor, botcher, bruiser, brute, bull, bumbler, bumpkin, bungler, child, child of nature, chump, clod, clodhopper, clodknocker, clot, clown, dolt, dolthead, dove, dub, dupe, fathead, fumbler, galoot, gaum, gawk, gawky, gorilla, gowk, hayseed, hick, hulk, infant, ingenue, innocent, klutz, lamb, lobster, looby, lout, lubber, lug, lummox, lump, meathead, mere child, missing link, noble savage, ox, palooka, rube, simple soul, slob, slouch, slubberer, unsophisticate, yokel

ROGET THESAURUS

oaf

Fool

N fool, idiot, tomfool, wiseacre, simpleton, witling, dizzard, donkey, ass, ninny, ninnyhammer, chowderhead, chucklehead, dolt, booby, Tom Noddy, looby, hoddy-doddy, noddy, nonny, noodle, nizy, owl, goose, goosecap, imbecile, gaby, radoteur, nincompoop, badaud, zany, trifler, babbler, pretty fellow, natural, niais, child, baby, infant, innocent, milksop, sop, oaf, lout, loon, lown, dullard, doodle, calf, colt, buzzard, block, put, stick, stock, numps, tony, bull head, dunderhead, addlehead, blockhead, dullhead, loggerhead, jolthead, jolterhead, beetlehead, beetlebrain, grosshead, muttonhead, noodlehead, giddyhead, numbskull, thickskull, lackbrain, shallowbrain, dimwit, halfwit, lackwit, dunderpate, lunkhead sawney, gowk, clod, clod-hopper, clod-poll, clot-poll, clot-pate, bull calf, gawk, Gothamite, lummox, rube, men of Boeotia, wise men of Gotham, un sot a triple etage, sot, jobbernowl, changeling, mooncalf, gobemouche, dotard, driveler, old fogey, old woman, crock, crone, grandmother, cotquean, henhussy, incompetent (insanity), greenhorn, dunce, lubber, madman, one who will not set the Thames on fire, one who did not invent gunpowder, qui n'a pas invente' la poudre, no conjuror, fortuna favet fatuis, les fous font les festinas et les sages les mangen, nomina stultorum parietibus harrent, stultorum plena sunt omnia.