goading

American  

[goh-ding] / ˈgoʊ dɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of pricking, prodding, driving, or inciting with or as if with a goad.

   After a little goading from the crowd, he grabbed another habanero pepper and ate the whole darn thing.

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adjective

1. pricking or prodding with or as if with a goad; driving or inciting.

   It's precisely this unstable combination of insecurity and superiority that generates a goading need to prove oneself.

Etymology

Origin of goading

First recorded in 1540–50; goad ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; goad ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

Rather than respond directly to the company, Muddy Waters took to X, where it posted a meme goading SoFi to “run that game.”

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has been goading Albany to soak the rich, responded to the proposals: “I’m grateful.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

All of a sudden, a brass band appeared, goading the star into a few bars of his song.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Note, for instance, how this kerfuffle is goading his critics into defending the indefensible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

Her goading struck into his brain; his lips snarled and his eyes were fierce again.

From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• challenging
• disturbing
• exciting
• inspirational
• insulting
• offensive
• outrageous