golly

[gol-ee]

interjection

Informal.

1. (used as a mild exclamation expressing surprise, wonder, puzzlement, pleasure, or the like.)

golly

¹

/ ˈɡɒlɪ /

verb

1. to spit

noun

1. a gob of spit

golly

²

/ ˈɡɒlɪ /

interjection

1. an exclamation of mild surprise or wonder

golly

³

/ ˈɡɒlɪ /

noun

1. informal,  short for golliwog

Word History and Origins

Origin of golly¹

First recorded in 1840–50; euphemistic alteration of God

Word History and Origins

Origin of golly¹

C20: altered from gollion a gob of phlegm, probably of imitative origin

Origin of golly²

C19: originally a euphemism for _God

Example Sentences

“At first I was thinking, ‘Golly, this is going to be a challenge,’” she replies.

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“I am a loyal person,” Harris writes, which is not only self-justifying but has the slightly off-putting whiff of someone declaring, by golly, I’m just too honest.

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And golly does he love compliments.

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And golly does he love compliments.

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As Golly tells Harriet in the film: “Knowing everything won’t do you a bit of good unless you use it to put beauty into this world.”

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Related Words

• cry 
• exclamation 
• expletive 
• insertion 
• interpolation 
• interposition 
• shout