good gracious
3
6.7
- idiom
- /ɡʊd ˈɡreɪʃəs/
- Informal
:
¡Dios mío!
- "Good gracious! Is anybody hurt?"
- Good gracious, no
Examples
-
Good gracious, lady.
Blog text (17) -
Good gracious, we're late.
-
Good gracious, what was that?
-
Good gracious, where does the time go?
Fiction book (1991) -
Well, good gracious, Mr. Mason, that doesn't mean I killed the poor man!
-
Oh, good gracious!
-
Good gracious, we're late.
-
Good gracious, is that you?
-
Good gracious, do you want more?
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A short word people say to show surprise or admiration
46
8.6
A short phrase people say to show surprise or admiration
35
8.2
An exclamation that shows strong surprise or shock
17
9.4
A short informal cry showing surprise or strong feeling
9
7.7
A short phrase people say to show surprise, shock, or admiration
8
2.6
Words people say when they are surprised to see something
5
7.5
A short phrase people say to show surprise or shock
4
9.9
A short informal word people say when they feel surprise, shock, or annoyance
2
7.0
To show surprise, shock or disbelief in a mild, polite way
How Surprised
Surface Forms
Morphology
good + gracious
The interjection 'good gracious' is a conventionalized exclamation of surprise whose idiomatic force is not deducible from the literal senses of 'good' (positive) and 'gracious' (kind or merciful). A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not reliably infer the exclamatory meaning—this phrase is formulaic/idiomatic (and somewhat archaic), so its meaning is opaque.
Etymology
Good gracious may come from people softly saying 'gracious God' or 'good God' when something shocking happened. Because the words good and gracious call on God's kindness, the phrase became a polite way to show 'surprise' or 'shock'.