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goad

[ gohd ]
/ goʊd /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR goad ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a stick with a pointed or electrically charged end, for driving cattle, oxen, etc.; prod.
anything that pricks or wounds like such a stick.
something that encourages, urges, or drives; a stimulus.

verb (used with object)

to prick or drive with, or as if with, a goad; prod; incite.

RELATED WORDS

prod, tease, coerce, harass, hound, provoke, desire, urge, incitement, compulsion, impetus, zeal, incitation, drive, incentive, lust, pressure, motivation, passion, catalyst

Nearby words

  1. go-train,
  2. go/no-go,
  3. goa,
  4. goa powder,
  5. goa, daman, and diu,
  6. goaf,
  7. goal,
  8. goal area,
  9. goal crease,
  10. goal kick

Origin of goad

before 900; Middle English gode, Old English gād; compare Langobardic gaida spearhead
Related formsgoad·like, adjectiveun·goad·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for goad

British Dictionary definitions for goad

goad

/ (ɡəʊd) /

noun

a sharp pointed stick for urging on cattle, etc
anything that acts as a spur or incitement

verb

(tr) to drive with or as if with a goad; spur; incite
Derived Formsgoadlike, adjective

Word Origin for goad

Old English gād, of Germanic origin, related to Old English gār, Old Norse geirr spear
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
Word Origin and History for goad
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper