goody
1 Americannoun
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goodies
plural
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Usually goodies. something especially attractive or pleasing, especially cake, cookies, or candy.
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something that causes delight or satisfaction.
A record collector played some goodies for me on his phonograph.
interjection
adjective
noun
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goodies
plural
interjection
noun
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short for goody-goody
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informal the hero in a film, book, etc
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something particularly pleasant to have or (often) to eat See also goodies
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of goody1
First recorded in 1740–50; good + -y 2, as noun suffix
Origin of goody2
First recorded in 1805–15; apparently good + -y 2, with attenuating or pejorative value, probably influenced by goody two shoes
Origin of goody3
First recorded in 1550–60; good(wife) + -y 2; cf. hussy
Explanation
A goody is a special treat, especially one you can eat. Sometimes kids judge the quality of a birthday party by the goody bag they leave with. When you're a kid, a highlight of other people's birthday parties is the goody bag, a gift of small toys and edible treats. If you celebrate Christmas, you probably get goodies in your stocking, and for Easter some lucky children receive baskets full of goodies. Goody, which since the 18th century has meant "something tasty," can also be used as an exclamation meaning "hooray:" "Oh goody, it's the ice cream man!"
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:
CARACAS, Venezuela—Before White House officials left the presidential palace one recent afternoon, interim President Delcy Rodríguez gave them blue goody bags tagged with her name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026
Fruitcake is an ancient goody, with the oldest versions a sort of energy bar made by the Romans to sustain their soldiers in battle.
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2024
When Oscars nominees get their opulent goody bags ahead of Sunday's ceremony they can expect a taste of Scotland.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2024
Each child at this artsy event will receive a mini pumpkin to paint on and a goody bag filled with snacks and juices.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2023
I boil sour milk in a pot, mash in some of the stale bread, and try to feed them from a cup, bread and goody.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Some items boosted only incrementally by a percentage point or so, while other snacks and goodies jumped as much as 25%.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
"They think it's amazing. It's their weekly goodies and they are supporting a local business as well," the 28-year-old said.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
That said, the presentation included some goodies for investors.
From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026
The number of bundled goodies you get with your VPN subscription depends on the plan you sign up for.
From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2026
Of course they figured they’d have all sorts of goodies like a gun and a knife and fishing gear and matches so they could hunt and fish and have a fire.
From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
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.
