goth
goth Lexical Profile
goth Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A member of a contemporary subculture noted for dark, dramatic clothing, pale makeup, and an interest in gothic rock music and macabre aesthetics.
"As a teenager in the late eighties, she dressed as a goth and spent her weekends at underground music clubs."
A style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the late 1970s, characterized by dark, atmospheric melodies, deep vocals, and melancholic or romantic lyrics.
"The band's early albums helped define the sound of eighties goth before they transitioned toward mainstream rock."
A member of an East Germanic people who invaded the Roman Empire in the 3rd to 5th centuries and established kingdoms in Spain and Italy (usually capitalized as Goth).
"Historians studied how the Goths interacted with Roman political institutions during the decline of the Western Empire."
An uncivilized, uncultured, or destructive person.
"Critics of the demolition called the developers modern goths for tearing down the historic theater."
• adjective
Relating to, characteristic of, or belonging to the goth subculture, fashion style, or musical genre.
"The boutique specializes in goth clothing, featuring velvet corsets, lace sleeves, and heavy silver jewelry."
• Rhymes for goth
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'Gotan', via Late Latin 'Gothi' and Greek 'Gothoi', from Gothic 'Gut-thiuda' ('the Gothic people'). The modern subcultural sense arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a clipping of 'gothic rock', referencing the dark, melancholic imagery of Gothic fiction.