oaf

IPA/əʊf/
IPA/əʊf/

oaf — noun

  • oafsingular
  • oafsplural

1. a person who is clumsy, rude, or slow-witted, often without meaning to cause tro

1.名詞C1
釋義

a person who is clumsy, rude, or slow-witted, often without meaning to cause trouble — most often said of a man

例句

Theo felt like an oaf when he spilled red wine on the hostess's white carpet.

feel like an oaf — embarrassment after a clumsy mistake

Some oaf in the queue shoved past everyone without a single apology.

同義詞
  • fool

    more general; can describe anyone who makes bad decisions, not necessarily physically clumsy

  • lout

    stronger emphasis on rude, aggressive behaviour rather than foolishness; chiefly British

  • blockhead

    focuses on stupidity and slow learning, without the physical clumsiness aspect

  • clodhopper

    highly informal; stresses extreme clumsiness and lack of grace

反義詞
  • gentleman

    polite, well-mannered, and socially graceful

  • genius

    intelligent and quick-witted — the opposite of slow-witted

文法句型

oaf + verb (subject)

call someone an oaf

feel like an oaf

用法筆記

Often used with adjectives that emphasise physical size or clumsiness, such as 'big', 'large', 'clumsy', or 'great'. The word is mildly insulting but can be used humorously among friends or to describe oneself with self-deprecation.

常見錯誤

❌He is such an oaf person.
✅He is such an oaf.
💡oaf already means the person; do not add a redundant noun after it.
❌Don't be so oaf.
✅Don't be so oafish.
💡oaf is a noun; the adjective form is oafish.
❌She's a total oaf.' (for a woman)
✅He's a total oaf.' or 'She's very clumsy.
💡while oaf can refer to women, it strongly implies a man; for a woman, 'clumsy' or 'awkward' is more natural.