goad

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goad^¹

/ɡəʊd/ UK
/ɡoʊd/ US

Sounds like goed · Rhymes with -əʊd

Where it comes from

From Middle English gode, from Old English gād (“goad”), from Proto-Germanic *gaidō (compare Old Norse gedda (“pike (fish)”), Lombardic gaida (“spear”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰey- (compare Old Irish gath (“spear”), Sanskrit हिन्वति (hinvati), हिनोति (hinoti, “to urge on, throw”), हेति (heti, “missile, projectile”)). Doublet of gad and yard; see also xyston.

noun goads

A long, pointed stick used to prod animals. the daily goad urging him to the daily toil
figuratively That which goads or incites; a stimulus. I might have been an unfortunate little bull in a Spanish arena, I got so smartingly touched up by these moral goads.

verb goads · goading · goaded

To prod with a goad.
To encourage or stimulate.
Similar: bield, embolden, hearten
To incite or provoke. goading a boy to fight
Similar: actuate, spur, abet, goose, fuel, light a fire under, send, sting, bring about, cheer, draw, drive

Goad^²

proper noun Goads

A surname.

Translations

Every language

noun pointed stick used to prod animals

Español	picana, puya, aguijada, aguijadera, terigüela
Français	aiguillon
Deutsch	Stachelstock
Italiano	pungolo
Ελληνικά	βουκέντρα voukéntra
Română	strămurare
Русский	прут prut, стрека́ло strekálo
العربية	مِنْخَس minḵas
עברית	מַלְמַד malmád

verb to prod with a goad

Español	puyar, picar, aguijar
हिन्दी	हाँकना hā̃knā
Français	aiguillonner
Deutsch	anstacheln, antreiben
Italiano	pungolare
Ελληνικά	κεντώ kentó
Русский	подгоня́ть podgonjátʹ

verb to encourage or stimulate

Español	puyar, incitar, provocar, cucar, cuquear, acuciar
中文	慫恿 /怂恿 sǒngyǒng, 唆使 suōshǐ
Deutsch	anspornen, anstacheln
Ελληνικά	παροτρύνω parotrýno, ενθαρρύνω entharrýno
Română	îndemna
Русский	подгоня́ть podgonjátʹ

verb to incite or provoke

Español	picar la cresta, puyar, provocar
中文	挑釁 /挑衅 tiǎoxìn
Português	incitar, provocar, atiçar
Français	provoquer
Deutsch	reizen, aufreizen, anstacheln
Русский	подстрека́ть podstrekátʹ, поощря́ть pooščrjátʹ, подначивать podnačivatʹ

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MLA

"goad." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/goad. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

goad. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/goad

Chicago

"goad." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/goad.

BibTeX

@misc{goad_2026,
  title = {goad},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/goad},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}