Goth

¹ American  

[goth] / gɒθ /

adjective

1. Often goth

   1. of or relating to a genre of rock music that first became popular in the 1980s and is characterized by morbid themes and melodies.

      Goth rock is one of my favorite types of music.

   2. of or relating to a subculture favoring goth music and a dark and morbid aesthetic.

      Her dark clothes and piercings suggested she was a goth girl.

2. of or relating to a Teutonic people who in the 3rd to 5th centuries invaded and settled in parts of the Roman Empire.

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noun

Goths plural

1. Often goth

   1. a genre of rock music that first became popular in the 1980s and is characterized by morbid themes and melodies.

      Goth has taken many forms over its years as a genre.

   2. a person who is part of a subculture favoring a genre of rock music that first became popular in the 1980s and a dark and morbid aesthetic.

      The club was full of goths dressed in black shirts and pants.

2. one of a Teutonic people who in the 3rd to 5th centuries invaded and settled in parts of the Roman Empire.

3. a person of no refinement; barbarian.

Goth ² American  

Or Goth.

abbreviation

Linguistics.

1. Gothic.

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Goth British  

/ ɡɒθ /

noun

1. a member of an East Germanic people from Scandinavia who settled south of the Baltic early in the first millennium _ad . They moved on to the Ukrainian steppes and raided and later invaded many parts of the Roman Empire from the 3rd to the 5th century See also Ostrogoth Visigoth

2. a rude or barbaric person

3. (sometimes not capital) an aficionado of Goth music and fashion

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adjective

1. Also: Gothic.  (sometimes not capital)

   1. (of music) in a style of guitar-based rock with some similarities to heavy metal and punk and usually characterized by depressing or mournful lyrics

   2. (of fashion) characterized by black clothes and heavy make-up, often creating a ghostly appearance

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Goths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Goth

First recorded before 900; Middle English Gothe from Late Latin Gothī (plural); replacing Old English Gotan (plural) ( Gota, singular); cognate with Gothic Gut- (in Gut-thiuda “Goth-people”)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Goth Goths

Goth icon Siouxsie Sioux also became an influence, particularly in the use of layering, texture and attitude.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

Holland's partner in real life, Zendaya, plays the goddess Athena in the mythological movie, which also features Himesh Patel as Eurylochus, Mia Goth as Melantho and Jimmy Gonzales as Cepheus.

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

Students take part in a Goth Yoga LA class, complete with burning incense.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026

And Mia Goth, one of the stars of The Frankenstein, went for a white silk floor-length dress by Dior.

From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2026

One of the most individualistic, interesting, and yes, gloomy subcultures, Goth is a style—of music, dress, state of mind.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

As the play opens he is returning to Rome as a lauded hero, having led the city’s forces in vanquishing the Goths.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

From Goths to punk rockers, genre can imply a lifestyle as well as a way of simply categorising music.

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2023

Unfazed, a pair of lanky, lethargic runway Goths performed on the wreck.

From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2023

Two newlywed Goths want to choose A token of love they won’t lose.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 15, 2022

If one looks for the first signs of the downfall of the Roman Empire it will be found to have begun with the hiring of the Goths as mercenaries.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli