What does boffing mean?
Boffing is the present participle and gerund of the informal verb "boff," which carries two distinct senses depending on context. In its older, mid-twentieth-century American usage, it means to strike or hit something hard, as in boffing a punching bag or boffing an opponent. In cruder modern slang, particularly in British and American informal speech, it refers to having sexual intercourse with someone, making it inappropriate for formal settings. The word also has a celebrated place in show-business jargon, where a related form, "boffo," signals a huge laugh or a glowing review — a gag that lands perfectly is described as boffing with the audience. Because of its coarse connotations, writers should treat boffing as strictly conversational vocabulary, best reserved for comedy scripts, casual dialogue, or discussions of theater history rather than polished prose.
verbThe present participle and gerund of the informal verb "boff," meaning to strike or hit someone or something hard; in cruder slang, it also means to have sexual intercourse with someone.
- Striking or hitting something hard (informal).
- Having sexual intercourse with (vulgar slang).
"The comedian's punchline was boffing so reliably that he kept it as his closer all season."
"He was boffing the punching bag so hard that the whole gym could hear it."
"Critics agreed the new sketch was boffing with preview audiences every single night."
In American show business, a joke that kills gets called a "boff" — so a comedian who keeps audiences roaring is literally said to be boffing night after night.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of boffing
The verb "boff" emerged as mid-twentieth-century American slang, likely as a variant of "buff," meaning to strike or buffet, though its exact origin is not firmly documented. In theatrical circles it came to denote a big laugh or hit, giving rise to the adjective "boffo." The crude sexual sense developed later in informal speech. Its relationship to the unrelated British noun "boffin" (a technical expert) is purely coincidental.
Related word forms
How boffing is actually used
Highly informal register throughout. The physical-strike sense is dated mid-century American slang; the sexual sense is vulgar and should be avoided in polite contexts. In theatrical slang, "boff" (often "boffo") describes a big laugh or rave review rather than a literal blow.
Easily confused with boffing
"Boffin" is a British noun for a scientific or technical expert, whereas "boffing" is the participle of an informal verb meaning to strike hard or, in crude slang, to have sex.
"Buffing" means polishing something to a shine, while "boffing" refers to striking something forcefully or, crudely, having intercourse.