to goose
- verb
- /ɡus/
- Informal
- If the economy needs to be goosed every once in a while, shouldn't the government support peacetime industries along the lines of education, healthcare, daycare, or mass transit?
- goose the economy
- goose interest
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Watch on YouTubeThat that really gooses the energy because he's he's he's hard to keep up with.
- That that really gooses the energy because he's he's he's hard to keep up with.
Examples
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No wonder Grace Harris is goosed right into action.
Fiction book (1998) -
Goose them a little.
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Goose them.
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To motivate the team, the coach goosed them with a pep talk before the big game.
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The manager decided to goose productivity by implementing a new incentive program for the employees.
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She goosed the project forward by introducing innovative ideas that sparked everyone's interest.
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
A large wild goose with a black head and white cheek patches that honks loudly and is often near lakes
- UK
A small raised bump on the skin that appears when you feel cold, afraid, or have strong feelings
Fat from geese that people use in cooking and rub on the skin as a simple medicine
A low-growing plant that grows back each year with silvery undersides on its leaves
- Specialized
A small sea animal with a shell on a stalk that sticks to ships and driftwood
- US
A wild goose from North America with dark feathers in summer and white in winter
- US
A wild plum tree from eastern and central North America that makes red-orange fruit with yellow flesh
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Etymology
The verb goose meaning 'to prompt' grew from the same idea as the pinch — a quick, sharp action that makes someone move — so to goose someone is to give a sudden push or nudge to get them acting. That's why we say someone was 'goosed' into doing something.