googly

American

[goo-glee] / ˈgu gli /

noun

Cricket.

a bowled ball that swerves in one direction and breaks in the other.

googly British

/ ˈɡuːɡlɪ /

noun

cricket an off break bowled with a leg break action

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

googlies

plural

Etymology

Origin of googly

First recorded in 1900–05; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wearing a handmade sock puppet with large googly eyes she found at Walmart, Esquivel read “Snuggle Puppy!” in a high-pitched voice as her teenage daughter recorded.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Kurata also did the ensembles for the Oscar-nominated “Everything Everywhere All at Once” with its wardrobe of googly eyes and Elvis jumpsuits.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

They also remind him of the late comic actor Marty Feldman, whose googly eyes shot off in different directions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

Try adding big googly eyes to your outdoor plants and bushes to spookify your outdoor space without the hassle.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2025

“I can’t believe you brought me here just so you can make googly eyes at your boyfriend,” Imani says.

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023