Illustration of muff
muff
1 of 3noun (1)
ˈməf 
: a warm tubular covering for the hands
muff
2 of 3verb
muffed; muffing; muffs
transitive verb
1
: to handle awkwardly
2
: to fail to hold (a ball) when attempting a catch
intransitive verb
1
: to act or do something stupidly or clumsily
2
: to muff a ball compare fumble
muff
3 of 3noun (2)
1
: a bungling performance
2
: a failure to hold a ball in attempting a catch
Synonyms
Verb
- blow
- bobble
- boggle
- bollix (up)
- boot
- botch
- bugger (up)
- bumble
- bungle
- butcher
- dub
- flub
- fluff
- foozle
- foul up
- fumble
- goof (up)
- louse up
- mangle
- mess (up)
- muck up
- murder
- screw up
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He muffed his chance for a promotion. The outfielder muffed an easy catch.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Dutch mof, from Middle French moufle mitten, from Medieval Latin muffula
Verb
probably from muff entry 1
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1599, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1846, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
muff 1 of 2
noun
ˈməf
: a soft thick cover into which both hands can be placed to protect them from cold
muff
2 of 2verb
muffed; muffing
: to make a mistake in doing or handling
He muffed an easy catch.
muffs 1 of 2
verb
as in fumbles
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way muffed the repair job and had to do it again Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- fumbles
- boots
- blows
- fluffs
- dubs
- bobbles
- murders
- butchers
- flubs
- bungles
- screws up
- bumbles
- ruins
- botches
- mangles
- spoils
- damages
- fouls up
- boggles
- destroys
- foozles
- mucks up
- mars
- wrecks
- injures
- blunders
- buggers (up)
- louses up
- goofs (up)
- bollixes (up)
- hurts
- flaws
- mutilates
- blemishes
- blights
- muddles
- harms
- impairs
- piffles
- messes (up)
- gums (up)
- vitiates
- mismanages
- mishandles
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- remedies
- improves
- reforms
- helps
- betters
- enhances
- rectifies
- refines
- ameliorates
- repairs
- doctors
- patches
- meliorates
- fixes
- reconditions
- renovates
- revamps
muffs
2 of 2noun
as in boobs
Synonyms & Similar Words
- fumbles
- boobs
- miscues
- boners
- blunders
- flubs
- inaccuracies
- trips
- goofs
- errors
- gaffes
- clinkers
- lapses
- foul-ups
- stumbles
- misstatements
- errancies
- slips
- faults
- mistakes
- misjudgments
- slipups
- miscalculations
- misinterpretations
- misconstructions
- misconceptions
- misunderstandings
- missteps
- misapprehensions
- misprisions
- misimpressions
