Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

oaf

/oʊf/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.25 in modern English

Syllables: oaf
IPA: /oʊf/

6

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person, especially a large male, who is clumsy or a simpleton.

Derogatory

noun

An ill-mannered person; a boor.

Dated; Derogatory

noun

An elf's child; a changeling left by fairies or goblins, hence, a deformed or foolish child.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"Ouch! You dropped that box on my feet, you lumbering oaf!"
"I hope you haven't been thinking me an awful oaf for not writing to thank you for so many jolly games after I left Tapsfield?"

Etymology

Variant of awf, aufe, probably from Old Norse álfr (“elf”) (whence Norwegian Bokmål alv). Doublet of alf and elf.

Origin

Source language: Old Norse

Word Breakdown

Root: álfr

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /oʊf/
British English: /əʊf/

Usage

Inflected Forms

oafs (plural) oaves (plural) auf (alternative)

Derived Forms

oafdom oafish oaflike

Phrases

oaf-rocked

Synonyms

dummy galoot imbecile lout moron fool auf swapling

Rhymes With

loaf

Questions

How do you pronounce oaf?: The recorded pronunciation is /oʊf/.
What does oaf mean?: A person, especially a large male, who is clumsy or a simpleton.
Where does oaf come from?: It is traced to Old Norse.

How to pronounce oaf

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