This page gathers the 5,691 dictionary entries of which at least one sense is labelled “Figuratively” by Wiktionary. The definition shown is that sense; each word leads to its full entry. Page 22 of 57: from “gold rush” to “hairline”.
- gold rush noun A feverish obsession with seeking profits, especially in new markets.
- gold sand noun Something highly valuable, fleeting, or priceless.
- gold standard noun The highest or most reliable benchmark against which all others in a category are judged or measured.
- gold-digging noun The behavior of a person, often a woman, who uses a relationship to gain wealth and material benefits.
- gold-hearted adj Of a person, noble and kind.
- gold-laced adj Enhanced or accented with something of great value, richness, or brilliance.
- gold-plated adj Of a project, system, etc., incorporating costly or otherwise excessive features or refinements unnecessarily; overengineered.
- golden calf noun Money as an end in itself; Mammon.
- goldfish noun A person with an unreliable memory.
- goldfish bowl noun Any place that lacks privacy, especially a room with a large window facing a public area.
- Goliath noun Any large person or thing; someone or something that is abnormally large or powerful.
- gone fishing adj Absentminded.
- gonghouse noun Hell.
- goo noun Excessive, showy sentimentality.
- good standing noun The status of a person who is known to be of good character and to be trustworthy.
- good tsar, bad boyars phrase used to criticize situations in which high-ranking authorities disclaim responsibility for their policies and activities
- gooey adj Emotional or sentimental, especially to an excessive extent; mushy, soppy.
- googolplex num A countable number.
- gore verb To needle or wound the feelings of.
- gorilla suit noun A tough, hypermasculine demeanor that keeps other people at a distance.
- gory adj Excessively detailed, often boringly so.
- gory details noun All of the small facts or pieces of information about something, especially those that are excessively detailed or tedious.
- gossamer noun Anything delicate, light and flimsy.
- gossamer-thin adj Having a flimsy factual basis; unsubstantiated, hard to believe.
- goth noun An uncivilized person, a barbarian, a vandal.
- Gothic adj Barbarous, rude, unpolished, belonging to the “Dark Ages”, medieval as opposed to classical.
- grab bag noun Any random assortment, selection or possibility.
- grace note noun Something that decorates, embellishes, or ornaments; a finishing touch.
- gracile adj Lean, slender, thin.
- grammar noun The basic rules or principles of a field of knowledge or a particular skill.
- granary noun A fertile, grain-growing region.
- grande dame noun A very highly regarded and well-known institution or structure, or large conveyance such as a ship.
- granite noun Toughness; the quality of having a thick skin or being rough.
- granny shot noun Something very easy to undertake or achieve.
- grapple verb To ponder and intensely evaluate a problem; to struggle to deal with.
- grasp noun Grip.
- grass noun That which is transitory.
- grass-eater noun A police officer who accepts offered bribes but does not actively seek them out.
- grasshopper noun A young student in the initial stages of training who has been chosen on account of their obvious talent.
- gravedance noun The celebration of a person's downfall.
- graveyard noun A final storage place for collections of things that are no longer useful or useable.
- gravitas noun Substance, weight.
- gravitate verb To tend or drift towards someone or something, as though being pulled by gravity.
- gravy boat noun A source of easily obtained money or benefits.
- gray adj Dreary, gloomy, cloudy.
- greasy pole noun The work and scheming that leads to the position of prime minister or other leadership position.
- great gun noun A person of great importance or talent.
- greek adj Synonym of incomprehensible, used for foreign speech or text, technical jargon, or advanced subjects.
- Greek chorus noun Synonym of chorus (“a group of people who express a unanimous opinion”).
- green adj Sickly, unwell.
- green flag noun A sign or cue that signals a positive trait about someone or something.
- green-eyed adj Jealous; envious.
- greenhouse verb To nurture in order to promote growth.
- greet verb To be perceived by (someone).
- grey cardinal noun A powerful, unofficial advisor or influencer who exerts significant influence behind the scenes over a leader, organization, or government.
- grey-haired adj Old, wise, experienced.
- greybeard noun Any of the members of a group who have been there the longest, often implying experience.
- gridlock noun Any paralysis of a complex system due to severe congestion, conflict, or deadlock.
- gridlocked adj In a state of gridlock or paralysis.
- grinding wheel noun Something that wears down or harms by attrition.
- grip noun Control, power, or mastery over someone or something; a tenacious grasp; a holding fast.
- grist noun Ellipsis of grist for the mill.
- gristle noun Bone not yet hardened by age and hard work.
- groan verb To seemingly creak under the strain of being heavily laden.
- groaning adj Heavily laden, as if to creak under the strain.
- grocery shrink ray noun The practice, among manufacturers, of gradually reducing the physical size of grocery items so as to increase profits.
- ground noun Advantage given or gained in any contest; e.g. in football, chess, debate or academic discourse.
- ground zero noun The point at which something begins.
- grubby adj Disreputable, sordid.
- guardian angel noun A person who benevolently watches over another or rescues them.
- guardrail noun Any barrier designed to prevent accidents or mistakes.
- gudgeon noun A person apt to take the bait; one easily cheated or duped; also, an idiot.
- guidestone noun Something serving as a guide.
- guillotine noun A machine used for the application of capital punishment by decapitation, consisting of a tall upright frame from which is suspended a…
- guinea pig noun A living experimental subject.
- gulag verb To compel (someone) into a forced labour camp or a similar place of confinement or exile.
- gulf noun A wide interval or gap; a separating space.
- gulp down verb To believe without questioning; to swallow.
- gummy up verb To mess up or break (something), especially by making it sticky or slow.
- gun noun A firearm or cannon used for saluting or signalling.
- gun down verb To shoot down; to put an end to.
- gun lap noun The final stages of something
- gunner noun An excessive go-getter; one exhibiting over-ambition.
- gunshy adj Fearing the consequences of repeating an act, especially after being reprimanded.
- gush verb To flow forth suddenly, in great volume.
- gusty adj Characterized by or occurring in instances of sudden strong expression.
- gut punch noun A sudden, profound, emotional shock or disappointment that evokes visceral distress.
- gutter adj Vulgar, sordid, or low-class.
- gymkhana noun Any event, situation, etc., with a broad array of elements.
- gyration noun The act of turning or whirling, especially around a fixed axis or centre; a circular or spiral motion; rotation.
- H-hour noun The hour at which any major event planned for the future is set to begin, as used in United States military.
- habilitate verb To clothe.
- hack noun A try, an attempt.
- hackney adj Much used; trite; mean.
- hagiographer noun Someone who writes in an excessively flattering and laudatory way about a person (as if that person were a saint).
- hail down verb to beat down suddenly and harshly
- Hail Mary noun A risky last-ditch effort with great benefit but little chance of success; one whose success would require divine intervention; a Hail Mary…
- hair trigger noun Any unstable situation.
- hairball noun A messy, tangled, intractable issue.
- hairline noun A very thin fissure.