Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

goofball

/ˈɡufˌbɔl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.50 in modern English

Syllables: goof-ball
IPA: /ˈɡufˌbɔl/

14

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A foolish or silly person or animal.

Derogatory; Informal

noun

A pill or tablet containing a pharmaceutical which has hypnotic or intoxicating effects, especially a barbiturate.

Informal

adj

Informal

Example Sentences

"If that goofball would put half the effort into her studies as she does into her juggling, she might do very well."
"Strong Cobb & Co. of Cleveland announced a new barbiturate which in overlarge doses will turn the stomachs of "goofball" addicts and would-be suicides."
"That night Marylou took everything in the books; she took tea, goofballs, benny, liquor, and even asked Old Bull for a shot of M, which of course he didn’t give her; he did give her a martini."
"He announced, with his usual goofball humor, that he'd like to marry me!"

Etymology

From goof + -ball.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɡufˌbɔl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

goofballs (plural)

Derived Forms

goofballery goofballness spoofball

Frequently Paired Words

screwball doofus oddball

Synonyms

clown buffoon goof merry andrew fathead bozo jackass goose cuckoo twat zany

Rhymes With

roofball hoofball

Questions

How do you pronounce goofball?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɡufˌbɔl/.
What does goofball mean?: A foolish or silly person or animal.
Where does goofball come from?: From goof + -ball.

How to pronounce goofball

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “goofball”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɡufˌbɔl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “goofball”.
Repeat and practice — Say “goofball” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.