palooka

/pəˈluːkə/
noun
  1. A clumsy, unskilled, or mediocre person, especially a boxer or athlete.
    • He played like a palooka in the game, missing every easy catch.
    • Don't be such a palooka on the basketball court — practice your shots.
    • The old trainer said the young fighter was a palooka who would never win a title.
  2. A naive, unsophisticated, or foolish person.
    • She called him a palooka for falling for the prank.
    • My uncle is a lovable palooka who believes every internet scam he sees.
    • The city slickers thought the farmer was a palooka, but he was smarter than they realized.
Antonyms