goddess
GO-dehs
Goddess (noun) means a female deity. Example: “Ancient farmers made offerings to the goddess of the harvest.”
noun
1
A female deity.
"Ancient farmers made offerings to the goddess of the harvest."
"The statue in the temple shows a goddess holding a bow."
"Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom."
2
Informal: a woman admired for exceptional beauty, charm, or presence.
"Her friends called her a goddess after seeing her wedding photos."
"He thinks his sister is a goddess because everyone admires her calm confidence."
"She walked onto the red carpet like a goddess."
How to use goddess
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA female god, or (loosely) a stunningly admired woman.
Common pairings
a Greek goddess
look like a goddess
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Word forms
- Plural
- goddesses
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Ancient farmers made offerings to the _____ of the harvest.
Etymology
From Middle English goddesse, simply god plus the feminine ending -ess, first recorded around 1350.
Class of 1350
goddess joined the language around 1350.
See the full Class of 1350 →
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “goddess” mean?
The word “goddess” means a female deity. In plain terms, a female god, or (loosely) a stunningly admired woman.
How do you pronounce “goddess”?
“Goddess” is pronounced GO-dehs (/ˈɡɑdəs/ in IPA).
How do you use “goddess” in a sentence?
Here is “goddess” used in a sentence: “Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom.”
What part of speech is “goddess”?
“Goddess” is a noun.
Where does the word “goddess” come from?
The word “goddess” dates back to around 1350 and comes from Middle English. From Middle English goddesse, simply god plus the feminine ending -ess, first recorded around 1350.
Is “goddess” a common word?
“Goddess” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “goddess” have?
“Goddess” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a female deity.
What is the male equivalent of goddess?
The male equivalent of goddess is god: a goddess is specifically a female deity. When speakers want a gender-neutral term, they usually choose deity or divinity instead.
What is the plural of goddess?
The plural is goddesses, formed by adding -es because the word ends in a double s, as in "the myths describe several goddesses."
Is goddess capitalized?
Goddess is a common noun and is written lowercase in general use, as in "a Greek goddess." It is capitalized only where any noun would be, such as at the start of a sentence, or in religious writing where Goddess serves as the name of one particular deity.
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