Gosh
/ɡɒʃ/noun
An exclamation expressing surprise, annoyance, or emphasis.
Did you know?Gosh emerged as a euphemistic substitute for "God," part of a long English tradition of reshaping sacred names into safer exclamations.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
English
gosh
“A minced oath used as a mild exclamation of surprise or emphasis.”
Earlier Modern English
English
gods
“A softened form of "Gods!" used to avoid direct blasphemy.”
Old English
English
god
“A deity; the Christian God or a pagan god.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gudan
“A god, deity.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵhu-tó- / *ǵʰeu-
“A being invoked or poured upon in religious contexts; the deep prehistory of the Germanic word for god.”