goo

American  

[goo] / gu /

noun

Informal.

1. a thick or sticky substance.

   Wash that goo off your hands.

2. maudlin sentimentality.

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goo British  

/ ɡuː /

noun

1. a sticky or viscous substance

2. coy or sentimental language or ideas

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Etymology

Origin of goo

1910–15, perhaps short for burgoo

Explanation

Any kind of drippy, yucky, gunky stuff can be called goo. Some people love tapioca pudding, while others feel that it's nothing but lumpy goo. The filling in a donut is one kind of goo — custard or jelly that oozes out when you take a bite. An unidentified blob of slime on the sidewalk or the glistening trail left behind by a slug, are other, much less appealing kinds of goo. Goo was coined in the US, but its origins beyond that are unclear. Many experts think gooey came first, possibly shortened from the now-obsolete burgoo, or "porridge."

Example Sentences

When the ROV returns, there is an excited dash for the samples including seawater, sediment and a forearm-length sea lily coated with dripping orange goo.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

But Baltimore has no spirit without him; the offense turns to goo and the vibes get worse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025

The problem, though, is that the brick-coloured goo, which is dried into a powder, looks distinctly unappetising – even less appetising than the freeze-dried fare that astronauts currently have to put up with.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

There are the hyper-processed kinds made of oil and starch that dissolve into goo when heated and, in especially soul-crushing cases, stick to your teeth like glue.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2024

His body shot down a steep decline, slick with an oily goo that smelled awful—like burnt plastic and overused machinery.

From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner

Related Words

• gunk
• muck
• sludge