goofing off

Thân thiện

The students were goofing off instead of doing their homework.

Definition

Noun: - The evasion of work or duty: The act of avoiding or neglecting one's assigned tasks, responsibilities, or job, often by engaging in idle or frivolous activities instead.

Usage

This noun describes the state or behavior of someone who is not working when they are supposed to be. It implies a deliberate avoidance of serious effort.

Examples

• Noun:
  • His constant goofing off during office hours led to a formal warning from his manager.
  • The supervisor put a stop to all the goofing off on the factory floor to meet the production deadline.

Advanced Usage

• "to be accused of goofing off": to be charged with or blamed for avoiding work.
  • She was accused of goofing off after being seen on her phone repeatedly during the workday.

Variants and Related Words

• Goof off (verb): To avoid work or spend time idly.
  • He tends to goof off when the boss is out of the office.
• Goof-off (noun): A person who habitually avoids work.
  • He has a reputation for being a goof-off.

Synonyms

• Shirking: Avoiding work or duty.
• Goldbricking (informal): Evading work or responsibility.
• Slacking: Not working hard or being lazy.

Related Phrases

• Screwing around (very informal): Wasting time or behaving in a silly, unproductive way.
  • Stop screwing around and get back to work!

Học thuật

Noun

1. the evasion of work or duty

Từ đồng nghĩa

• shirking
• slacking
• soldiering
• goldbricking