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.
Theater. gods,
the upper balcony in a theater.
the spectators in this part of the balcony.
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.
the Supreme Being considered with reference to a particular attribute.
May the God of mercy comfort you.
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
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
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch god, German Gott, Old Norse goth, Gothic guth
see origin at god ( def. )
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.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"My customers love it and then some of them, for example, they come in Spode, they can't move, in front of the entrance, like 'oh my god i'm in Stoke, i'm in Spode'," she beamed.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Years ago on “Rick and Morty,” President Andre Curtis fumed that he can’t coexist with Rick Sanchez, a living god who won’t submit to his will.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Viking god Erling Haaland gave a hallelujah to the briny magic of a Katz’s pastrami.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The angry sea god Poseidon is reduced to rumors; mighty Zeus withheld to a few well-timed thunderclaps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
In this rendition, the god of death is sculpted to look like a cunning old man, his hippo familiar by his side.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
"Marriage is about the lifelong commitment made before God for me, and for some couples the setting can make that sacred moment even more personal and memorable."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
And God or whatever higher power was like, ‘Now, now.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“And I used to say, ‘Well, God, I want to be him.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
"God has granted me peace nowhere in this world. Not in my country, not here."
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
I got mixed up listening to him, because I had always believed in the God Sila.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
As Thomas Jefferson observed: “It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
That made its giant beast gods feel real too, along with their snarling rage against annihilation.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Here, Holland’s Telemachus gambles Athena is hiding inside half the people he meets until his father chides, “Don’t look for gods in men, you’ll just be disappointed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
The social media gods have been good to Matejka, and the Kardashian story is only half of it.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
I run toward it, gazing at the brightly painted sculptures of many-armed gods and goddesses decorating the roof.
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
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 Thompson, Francis
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 Shakespeare, William
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 Shakespeare, William
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.
