Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Gothic

//ˈɡɒθ.ɪk// adj, name, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of or relating to the Goths or their language.
  2. 2
    Alternative letter-case form of Gothic. alt-of

    "Frant and Etchingham [station buildings] are more flamboyantly gothic and are built of ragstone."

  3. 3
    Barbarous, rude, unpolished, belonging to the “Dark Ages”, medieval as opposed to classical. figuratively

    "“[W]hat he holds of all things to be most gothic, is gallantry to the women.”"

  4. 4
    Of or relating to the architectural style favored in Western Europe in the 12th to 16th centuries, with high-pointed arches, clustered columns, etc.

    "Gothic arches"

  5. 5
    Of or relating to the style of fictional writing associated with Gothic fiction, emphasizing violent or macabre events in a mysterious, desolate setting.

    "Gothic tales"

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    Synonym of black letter. England

    "Gothic letters"

  2. 7
    Of a sans serif typeface using straight, even-width lines, also known as grotesque or lineal. US
  3. 8
    Of or relating to the goth subculture, music or lifestyle.

    "Gothic rock"

Adjective
  1. 1
    characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque wordnet
  2. 2
    as if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened wordnet
  3. 3
    of or relating to the Goths wordnet
  4. 4
    of or relating to the language of the ancient Goths wordnet
  5. 5
    characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    An extinct Germanic language, once spoken by the Goths.
  2. 2
    Certain moths of the family Noctuidae.
  3. 3
    A particular species of moth of the family Noctuidae, Naenia typica.
Noun
  1. 1
    A novel written in the Gothic style.

    "One hundred fifty Gothics sold over 1.5 million copies a month last spring."

  2. 2
    a style of architecture developed in northern France that spread throughout Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries; characterized by slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by vaulting and pointed arches wordnet
  3. 3
    a heavy typeface in use from 15th to 18th centuries wordnet
  4. 4
    extinct East Germanic language of the ancient Goths; the only surviving record being fragments of a 4th-century translation of the Bible by Bishop Ulfilas wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Late Latin gothicus (“Gothic, barbaric”), from Ancient Greek Γοτθικός (Gotthikós), from Ancient Greek Γότθοι (Gótthoi, “Goths”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”), proposed to derive from unattested Gothic *𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌰 (*guta). Equivalent to Goth + -ic. The various usages of the adjective are introduced nearly simultaneously in the first half of the 17th century. The literal meaning “of the Goths” is found in the 1611 preface of the King James Bible, in reference to the Gothicke tongue. The generalized meaning of “Germanic, Teutonic” appears in the 1640s. Reference to the medieval period in Western Europe, and specifically the architecture of that period (“barbaric style”, initially a term of abuse), also appears in the 1640s, as does reference to “Gothic characters” or “Gothic letters” in typography.

Etymology 2

From Late Latin gothicus (“Gothic, barbaric”), from Ancient Greek Γοτθικός (Gotthikós), from Ancient Greek Γότθοι (Gótthoi, “Goths”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”), proposed to derive from unattested Gothic *𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌰 (*guta). Equivalent to Goth + -ic. The various usages of the adjective are introduced nearly simultaneously in the first half of the 17th century. The literal meaning “of the Goths” is found in the 1611 preface of the King James Bible, in reference to the Gothicke tongue. The generalized meaning of “Germanic, Teutonic” appears in the 1640s. Reference to the medieval period in Western Europe, and specifically the architecture of that period (“barbaric style”, initially a term of abuse), also appears in the 1640s, as does reference to “Gothic characters” or “Gothic letters” in typography.

Etymology 3

From Late Latin gothicus (“Gothic, barbaric”), from Ancient Greek Γοτθικός (Gotthikós), from Ancient Greek Γότθοι (Gótthoi, “Goths”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”), proposed to derive from unattested Gothic *𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌰 (*guta). Equivalent to Goth + -ic. The various usages of the adjective are introduced nearly simultaneously in the first half of the 17th century. The literal meaning “of the Goths” is found in the 1611 preface of the King James Bible, in reference to the Gothicke tongue. The generalized meaning of “Germanic, Teutonic” appears in the 1640s. Reference to the medieval period in Western Europe, and specifically the architecture of that period (“barbaric style”, initially a term of abuse), also appears in the 1640s, as does reference to “Gothic characters” or “Gothic letters” in typography.

Etymology 4

From goth + -ic, see Gothic.

See also for "gothic"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: gothic