Meaning & use
goggles
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
Protective glasses that fit closely around the eyes to keep out water, dust, chemicals, or wind.
Grammar: Always plural; takes a plural verb, like 'glasses' or 'scissors'.
Patterns
- a pair of goggles
- wear goggles
- put on goggles
You must wear goggles in the chemistry lab to protect your eyes.
She put on her swimming goggles before diving into the pool.
The workers wore safety goggles while cutting metal.
Word forms
| plural | goggles |
|---|
Common combinations
- safety goggles
- Always wear safety goggles when using power tools.
- swimming goggles
- He forgot his swimming goggles and had to borrow a pair.
- ski goggles
- Ski goggles protect your eyes from wind and snow.
- a pair of goggles
- She bought a new pair of goggles for the lab.
Synonyms and how they differ
- glasses
- Glasses is a general word for eyewear, often for vision correction; goggles are specifically for protection and fit snugly around the eyes.
- spectacles
- Spectacles is a formal or old-fashioned word for glasses; it does not usually imply protection like goggles.
Commonly confused: goggles or goggle?
goggles vs goggle
Goggle as a verb means to stare with wide eyes; the noun is always plural 'goggles' for the eyewear.
Practice
Before entering the laboratory, the students were told to put on their ______.
Choose one answer.
Goggles is the plural noun for protective eyewear, which fits the context of a laboratory. Glove is singular and refers to hand protection, gown is a protective garment, and goggle as a singular noun is not used for the eyewear.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “goggles”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.