Geez

Or Ge'ez

[gee-ez, gey-]

noun

1. a Semitic language of ancient Ethiopia, now used only as the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Church.

Ge'ez

/ ˈɡiːɛz /

noun

1. the classical form of the ancient Ethiopic language, having an extensive Christian literature and still used in Ethiopia as a liturgical language

When To Use

What else does geez mean?

The word geez is an informal way to express surprise, disappointment, frustration, annoyance, or exasperation.Geez can also be spelled jeez. It’s an interjection, meaning it’s typically said by itself (instead of as part of a sentence) to express some kind of emotion. It’s usually used before or after another statement, as in I wasn’t implying that at all. Geez. The term geez can be used in both negative and positive contexts, but it’s more often used negatively to express frustration with what someone has said or done.Geez comes from a shortening of Jesus, which makes it a euphemism—a milder way of saying something that may be considered offensive, blasphemous, or harsh. Many other words like this (often called mild oaths or minced oaths) are formed in a similar way. The word gosh, for example, is an alteration of the word God.Geez is commonly used in the phrase geez louise, which means the same thing as geez but is usually used in more humorous situations. (The name Louise is probably just added as a rhyme).Unrelatedly, the word Geez (or Ge’ez) is a name for a Semitic language of ancient Ethiopia, now used only as a ceremonial language of the Ethiopian Church.Example: Geez, Tim, you don’t have to be such a jerk.