Goad (v.)

goad

ɡōd/

verb

verb: goad; 3rd person present: goads; past tense: goaded; past participle: goaded; gerund or present participle: goading

1. 1.

   provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate some action or reaction.

   “he goaded her on to more daring revelations”

   synonyms:

   provoke, spur, prod, egg on, hound, badger, incite, rouse, stir, move, stimulate,motivate, prompt, induce, encourage, urge, inspire; impel, pressure, dragoon “we were goaded into action”

2. 2.

   drive or urge (an animal) on with a goad.

noun

noun: goad; plural noun: goads

1. 1.

   a spiked stick used for driving cattle.

   synonyms:

   prod, spike, staff, crook, rod “he applied his goad to the cows”

   • a thing that stimulates someone into action.

     “for him the visit was a goad to renewed effort”

     synonyms:

     stimulus, incentive, encouragement, inducement, fillip, spur, prod, prompt, catalyst; motive, motivation “a goad to political change”

Origin

Old English gād, of Germanic origin.