goop: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal, Colloquial
Quick answer
What does “goop” mean?
A thick, sticky, or viscous semi-liquid substance, often unappealing or messy.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A thick, sticky, or viscous semi-liquid substance, often unappealing or messy.
Can refer to any messy, unpleasant, or unidentified gloppy substance. In informal contexts, also used to describe excessively sentimental or silly talk/behavior.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slightly more common in American English. The substance sense is understood in both varieties. The brand name 'GOOP' (lifestyle) is American.
Connotations
UK: Strong association with messy, childish substances (like slime). US: Also used for cooking/bodily goop. Both share negative connotations.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but marginally higher in US English, especially in phrases like 'hair goop' (styling gel).
Grammar
How to Use “goop” in a Sentence
There is [DET] goop on [NP].Clean/wipe/scrape off the goop.It looks/feels like goop.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “goop” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The pipe has gooped up again with all that muck.
American English
- He gooped a huge dollop of sunscreen onto his nose.
adjective
British English
- The goopy mixture stuck to everything.
American English
- After the rain, the trail was all goopy and muddy.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Used casually to describe messy substances, especially by or to children.
Technical
Not used in technical senses; occasionally humorous in tech contexts for thermal paste, etc.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “goop”
- Using it in formal writing.
- Treating it as a countable noun (*three goops). It's a mass noun.
- Overusing it; it's a low-frequency, stylistically marked word.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a real word, but it is firmly in the informal, colloquial register. It appears in dictionaries.
Yes, informally, meaning to apply a goopy substance or to become clogged with goop (e.g., 'The drain gooped up'). The related form 'gooped' is more common.
They are near-synonyms. 'Gunk' often implies dirt or grime. 'Glop' emphasizes a thick, lumpy consistency. 'Goop' is more general for any messy, viscous substance.
For most speakers, no. The brand is a proper noun. In lifestyle/media contexts, it might be mentioned specifically as 'the brand GOOP', but the common noun 'goop' retains its original meaning.
A thick, sticky, or viscous semi-liquid substance, often unappealing or messy.
Goop is usually informal, colloquial in register.
Goop: in British English it is pronounced /ɡuːp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɡuːp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No major idioms. Possible: 'full of goop' (nonsense/sentimentality).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a group (sounds like 'goop') of toddlers playing with thick, sticky, green GOOP.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNPLEASANT IDEAS ARE PHYSICALLY STICKY/GOOPY (e.g., 'That's just sentimental goop').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'goop' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?