What does "gout" mean?
An extremely painful inflammation of joints, especially of the big toe, caused by a metabolic defect resulting in the accumulation of uric acid in the blood and the deposition of urates around the joints.
Gout
/ɡaʊt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An extremely painful inflammation of joints, especially of the big toe, caused by a metabolic defect resulting in the accumulation of uric acid in the blood and the deposition of urates around the joints.
- Grammar: gout is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: gouty arthritis, acidosis, adenoiditis, adrenitis.
- Useful contrasts: health, wellness.
- Usage evidence: Drink wine and get gout, or drink no wine and get gout anyway.
How to use "gout"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gout" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gout" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gout" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gout" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gout" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "gouty arthritis" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An extremely painful inflammation of joints, especially of the big toe, caused by a metabolic defect resulting in the accumulation of uric acid in the blood and the deposition of urates around the joints. uncountable
"Once gout was confined largely to Western civilization (with some outliers, like the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan); now its ravages are global."
- 2 Alternative form of gote (“sluice, ditch, drain; vault”). alt-of, alternative
"... Anton's Gout, let it be enlarged to whatever extent it may. The Sill of Anton's Gout is 2 feet 3 inches higher than the Sill of Maud Foster, and the surface of the water, in times when there is a full quantity in the Witham, and as[…]"
- 3 Taste; relish. obsolete
"After a time, however, he became more sensible of the reviving influence proceeding from renewed energy; luxurious indolence had for ever lost to him its goût;[…]"
- 4 a painful inflammation of the big toe and foot caused by defects in uric acid metabolism resulting in deposits of the acid and its salts in the blood and joints wordnet
- 5 A drop; a spurt or splotch. countable, uncountable, usually
"Alternative forms: gut, gutt"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A disease of wheat and cornstalks, caused by insect larvae. countable, rare, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To spurt. intransitive
"Dark blood gouts from the creature's brisket."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Drink wine and get gout, or drink no wine and get gout anyway."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gout"?
Common synonyms include: gouty arthritis, acidosis, adenoiditis, adrenitis, alkalosis, appendicitis.
How do you use "gout" in a sentence?
Drink wine and get gout, or drink no wine and get gout anyway.
How do you pronounce "gout"?
Pronounced /ɡaʊt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English goute, from Old French gote, gute, from Latin gutta (“drop”). Compare Spanish gota (“drop, droplet”). Doublet of goutte and gutta. The sense shift derived from humorism and "the notion of the 'dropping' of a morbid material from the blood in and around the joints".
Etymology 2
From French goût.