Meaning & use
the GOAT
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UK/ðə ɡəʊt/
US/ðə ɡoʊt/
Meaning
nounsingularslang
Slang for the best person ever in a field, especially in sport or music, from the initials of greatest of all time.
Grammar: Used with the: she is the GOAT.
Patterns
- be the GOAT
- the GOAT of something
Many fans think she is the GOAT of tennis.
He still argues that Jordan is the GOAT.
Is she really the GOAT of pop music?
Common combinations
- the GOAT of basketball
- Fans call him the GOAT of basketball.
- the undisputed GOAT
- She is the undisputed GOAT of her sport.
- GOAT debate
- The GOAT debate never ends.
- be called the GOAT
- He is often called the GOAT.
- crown the GOAT
- Fans crowned her the GOAT after the final.
Synonyms and how they differ
- the greatest
- The greatest is the plain form of the same idea, while GOAT is slang.
- the best ever
- This phrase is more neutral than GOAT and has no fan-culture flavor.
- legend
- A legend is someone admired for achievements, but not necessarily the single best.
Word family
Commonly confused: the GOAT or goat?
the GOAT vs goat
The ordinary word goat is the animal. Said as an insult in some places it means a fool, so the capital letters matter.
Practice
If fans call a player the GOAT, they mean the player is ___.
Choose one answer.
GOAT stands for greatest of all time. Stubborn is a tempting reading from the animal but is not meant.
Make it your own
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