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
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(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:
"Oh my god," he said, after he had collected himself.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
At the center of this object used for protection and to treat ailments, the child god stands atop a pair of crocodiles and grasps scorpions and snakes, guarding us against these threatening creatures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
"Maria Corina till the end. We're waiting for her, only god knows when she'll arrive, but that she will arrive, she will," Beltran said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
“You’re going ‘Oh my god, she’s not that good.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Despite the fear infiltrating every atom of my body, I felt—very briefly—some pity for the ugly god.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
"I see God in my animals, and Vantara is my temple," Anant, a devout Hindu, has said, adding: "Every being, no matter how big or how small, deserves dignity."
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
On Monday’s edition of “The Breakfast Club,” host Charlamagne Tha God wondered whether Minaj is content to trade her legacy of demanding respect in proximity to power.
From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026
"We pray that the martyrs' souls rest in peace and wish the injured a speedy recovery. May God protect and watch over Jordan and its people."
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
“My God, this whole fight is unbearable,” said Paula Moraes, an administrative assistant from São Paulo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
You see, God, she can do so much for them!
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The lessons may appear to be the same, but the individuals often tell disturbing tales that only the gods could see coming.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Wells story, “The Man Who Could Work Miracles,” about an ordinary guy bestowed with world-altering powers by the gods.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
On Friday morning in Durban, 34-year-old Australia batter Nic Maddinson became the latest to experience the stubbornness of the sporting gods.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
At the dawn of the new millennium, music critics prophesied that five young men living in New York City would cast the false gods of nu metal, rap-rock and boy bands out of heavy rotation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
"Exactly! In the Sea of Tiamat. A place we gods cannot venture."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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
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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
