god
noun
one of several deities, especially a male deity, presiding over some portion of worldly affairs.
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god
1 American
[god]
/ gɒd /
noun
-
gods
plural
-
one of several deities, especially a male deity, presiding over some portion of worldly affairs.
-
an image of a deity; an idol.
-
any deified person or object.
-
a nebulous powerful force imagined to be responsible for one's fate.
The god of poker dealt me two aces.
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Theater. gods,
-
the upper balcony in a theater.
-
the spectators in this part of the balcony.
-
verb (used with object)
godded,
godding
God
2
American
[god]
/ gɒd /
noun
-
the Supreme Being, worshiped as the creator or ultimate source of the universe.
-
the Supreme Being according to a particular religion or conception.
She called upon Allah, the God of Islam, for help.
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the Supreme Being considered with reference to a particular attribute.
May the God of mercy comfort you.
interjection
god
1
British
/ ɡɒd /
noun
-
a supernatural being, who is worshipped as the controller of some part of the universe or some aspect of life in the world or is the personification of some force
-
an image, idol, or symbolic representation of such a deity
-
any person or thing to which excessive attention is given
money was his god
-
a man who has qualities regarded as making him superior to other men
-
(in plural) the gallery of a theatre
God
2
British
/ ɡɒd /
noun
-
theol the sole Supreme Being, eternal, spiritual, and transcendent, who is the Creator and ruler of all and is infinite in all attributes; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
-
to behave in an imperious or superior manner
interjection
God
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of god1
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch god, German Gott, Old Norse goth, Gothic guth
Origin of God2
see origin at god ( def. )
Explanation
A god is a supreme being or deity, and it's spelled with a lowercase g when you're not referring to the God of Christian, Jewish, or Muslim tradition. The ancient Greeks had many gods — including Zeus, Apollo, and Poseidon. A physical representation of a deity is also called a god. If you go to Hawaii, you can even buy a god in a gift shop — a statue or idol that represents one of the Hawaiian gods, like a figure of the god Pele. The word god also refers to a man of superior quality or exceptional beauty. Elvis Presley was considered a god by many teenage girls in the late 1950s.
Vocabulary lists containing god
Reading: Literature - Mythology - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Middle School
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Ancient Greece: Mythology and Literature - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
Many have stuck with main character Kratos, a demi-god who becomes a god, through an ongoing story of revenge and redemption.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
“I mean I still ask why to this day but god definitely had something to do with it.”
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Brisk of step and sharp of mind despite his years and the hot winds that whip the castle, he stood at the foundations of a temple dedicated to Haldi, the warrior god of gods.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
He’s not a super-scientist or a god or an extraterrestrial or a one-percenter able to develop all manner of nifty crime-fighting gadgetry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Frank watched as the god picked leaves and roots and crushed them in a mortar.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
The first official images of the God of War TV show, featuring Hurst, were released earlier this year and showed the character with his son Atreus - first introduced in 2018's God of War.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Actor Dave Bautista has been cast in the lead role of the upcoming God of War TV show.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
We went to the Armory in New York with, oh God, I can’t remember the name of the exhibition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Dr. Fauci writes, “Had a wonderful Instagram discussion organized by the ONE Campaign with Julia Roberts. . . . She put her hands in front of her mouth and said ‘Oh my God.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Even with the River God standing at full height, Nansi is still a head taller than him.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
“Ever since, we’ve been crossing our fingers and knocking on wood and sending up flares to the Booker gods, and sent the book to the printer a little earlier than usual just in case.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
These odd phenomena convinced ancient cultures that eclipses were signs of the apocalypse -- or messages from the gods.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
A more substantive critique is that by emphasizing Odysseus’ feelings of guilt rather than his simple fealty to the gods, Mr. Nolan imposes an anachronistic Christian morality on the ancient world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
That made its giant beast gods feel real too, along with their snarling rage against annihilation.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
But I can’t shake the feeling I had watching gods, monsters, and folk heroes threaten Autumn and Ama.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
The earth not paeans thee, nor serves thy hest, Be godded not by Heaven! avert thy face, And leave to blank disgrace The oblivious world! unsceptre thee of state and place!
From New Poems by Francis Thompson
This last old man, Whom with crack'd heart I have sent to Rome, Lov'd me above the measure of a father; Nay, godded me indeed.
From Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
This last old man, Whom with a crack'd heart I haue sent to Rome, Lou'd me, aboue the measure of a Father, Nay godded me indeed.
From Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
