goal

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goal

/ɡəʊl/ UK
[ɡɒʊɫ] UK
/ɡɒl/
/ɡoʊl/ Canada, US
[ɡoɫ] Canada, US
/ɡəʉl/ Australia
[ɡɐʉl] Australia
/ɡɐʉl/ New Zealand
[ɡɒʊɫ] New Zealand

Rhymes with -əʊl

Where it comes from

From Middle English gol (“boundary, limit”), from Old English *gāl (“obstacle, barrier, marker”), from Proto-West Germanic *gailu, from Proto-Germanic *gailō (“crevice, gap”); compare the Old English's derivatives Old English gǣlan (“to hinder, delay”), and hyġegǣls (“hesitating, slow, sluggish”), hyġegǣlsa (“slow one, sluggish one”).

Possibly cognate with Lithuanian gãlas (“end”), Latvian gals (“end”), Old Prussian gallan (“death”), Albanian ngalem (“to be limping, lame, paralyzed”), ngel (“to remain, linger, hesitate, get stuck”).

noun goals

A result that one is attempting to achieve. My lifelong goal is to get into a Hollywood movie.
Similar: ambition
In many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object. The racers are approaching the goal.
The act of placing the object into the goal. miss a goal
A point scored in a game as a result of placing the object into the goal. score a goal
A noun or noun phrase that receives the action of a verb.
The subject of a passive verb or the direct object of an active verb.
Similar: patient, target, undergoer

verb goals · goaling · goaled

To score a goal.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: destination, end, purpose, outcome, achievement, attainment, intention, initiative, effect, achieve, regard, motive, intent, sake, directed, motivation

noun

Translations

Every language

noun result one is attempting to achieve

Español	meta
한국어	목표 mokpyo, 목적 mokjeok, 골 gol
日本語	目標 mokuhyō, 目的 mokuteki, ゴール gōru
中文	目標 /目标 mùbiāo, 目的 mùdì
हिन्दी	ठिकाना ṭhikānā, लक्ष्य lakṣya, मक़सद maqsad, उद्देश्य uddeśya, हदफ़ hadaf, निशाना niśānā
Português	meta, objetivo
Français	objectif, but
Deutsch	Ziel
Italiano	obiettivo, scopo, risultato, fine, traguardo
Ελληνικά	σκοπός skopós, επιδίωξη epidíoxi, στόχος stóchos, τερματισμός termatismós
Română	scop, obiectiv
Русский	цель celʹ
Tiếng Việt	mục tiêu, mục đích
العربية	هَدَف hadaf, مَقْصَد maqṣad, غَايَة ḡāya
עברית	מַטָּרָה matará

noun in many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object

Español	portería, arco, meta, puerta
한국어	골 gol
日本語	ゴール gōru
中文	球門 /球门 qiúmén
Kiswahili	bao, goli
Português	gol, baliza
Français	but
Deutsch	Tor
Italiano	porta, rete
Ελληνικά	τέρμα térma
Română	poartă
Русский	воро́та voróta
Tiếng Việt	cầu môn, gôn, khung thành
العربية	مَرْمًى marman
עברית	שַׁעַר shá'ar

noun (sport) act of placing the object into the goal

Español	gol
한국어	골 gol
日本語	ゴール gōru
中文	進球 /进球 jìnqiú
Kiswahili	bao, goli
Português	gol, golo
Français	but
Deutsch	Tor
Italiano	gol, rete, goal
Ελληνικά	τέρμα térma, καλάθι kaláthi, γκολ gkol
Română	gol
Русский	гол gol
Tiếng Việt	ghi bàn
العربية	هَدَف hadaf

noun point(s) scored

Español	gol
日本語	ゴール gōru
中文	進球得分 /进球得分 jìnqiú défēn
Kiswahili	bao
Português	gol, golo
Français	but (marqué)
Deutsch	Tor
Italiano	gol, rete, goal
Ελληνικά	πόντος póntos
Română	gol
Русский	гол gol
Tiếng Việt	bàn, bàn thắng
العربية	هَدَف hadaf
עברית	שַׁעַר sha'ar

verb to score a goal

한국어	골을 넣다 goreul neota
日本語	ゴールを決める gōru o kimeru
中文	進球 /进球 jìnqiú
Français	marquer un but
Deutsch	ein Tor schießen
Русский	забива́ть гол zabivátʹ gol, заби́ть гол zabítʹ gol
العربية	سَجَّلَ هَدَفًا sajjala hadafan

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

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

APA

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

Chicago

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

BibTeX

@misc{goal_2026,
  title = {goal},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/goal},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}