Antonyms for oafishness


Grammar : Noun
Spell : ohf
Phonetic Transcription : oÊŠf


Definition of oafishness

Origin :
  • 1620s, auf, oph (modern form from 1630s), "a changeling; a foolish child left by the fairies" [Johnson], from a Scandinavian source, cf. Norwegian alfr "silly person," in Old Norse, "elf" (see elf). Hence, "a misbegotten, deformed idiot." Until recently, some dictionaries still gave the plural as oaves.
  • As in awkwardness : noun clumsiness; inelegance
Example sentences :
  • All the oafishness and surly awkwardness of the half-boy period was gone.
  • Extract from : « The Pearl of Orr's Island » by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Synonyms for oafishness

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019