to goose
- verb
- /ɡus/
- Offensive
- Clay jumped as if he'd been goosed—an infrequent occurrence in his social circle.
Examples
-
Those guys were standing so close to each other, it looked like one may have been "goosing" the other.
Blog text (20) -
Oh, she goosed me.
-
"You goosed me during the night."
Fiction book (1997) -
If he gooses you or anything, I'll make him go to bed.
-
And when he promptly goosed her
-
I probably couldn't have been less interested in anything he had to say until suddenly he goosed me, just to make sure I was paying attention.
-
Leroy gooses me again.
Fiction book (1998) -
She reports that even when he goosed her, his fingers didn't stray.
Fiction book (1994) -
She playfully goosed him as he walked by, surprising him with the playful gesture.
-
During the party, Tom goosed Sarah, making everyone laugh as she jumped in surprise.
Synonyms
To hit a person or thing lightly, often by accident
To squeeze someone's bottom playfully to show affection or flirt
Idioms
To destroy a steady source of income by greedy short-term choices
- Informal
Doing something risky and foolish that will likely make you lose money or get into trouble
- Informal
A saying that you should not expect a wild person or thing to behave calmly
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- US
A large wild goose from North America with a black head and neck and white cheeks
- UK
A small raised bump on the skin that appears when you feel cold, afraid, or have strong feelings
A large wild goose with a black head and white cheek patches that honks loudly and is often near lakes
Fat from geese that people use in cooking and rub on the skin as a simple medicine
- Specialized
A small sea animal with a shell on a stalk that sticks to ships and driftwood
- US
A wild plum tree from eastern and central North America that makes red-orange fruit with yellow flesh
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Etymology
A helpful way to remember the verb goose meaning 'to pinch someone' is to think of how a goose can peck or nip; the bird's sharp action gave the word the sense of a quick, playful pinch. So to goose someone is to give them a sudden poke or pinch.