Egad
/ɪˈɡæd/noun
An old-fashioned exclamation of surprise or emphasis.
Did you know?Egad is a minced oath, a softened substitute for 'O God,' showing how speakers turned sacred language into a socially safer burst of emotion.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
English
egad
“A euphemistic exclamation, originally a softened oath”
Earlier 17th Century
English
o God
“A direct invocation or exclamation addressed to God”
Middle English
English
God
“The deity; used in oaths and exclamations”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gudan
“God, a deity”