gob
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɡˈɒb/
US
- /ˈɡɑb/
Description
- mouth
- lump
- large amount
- spit
"Gob" isn't a fancy word; it's a bit rough around the edges. In British English especially, it often means a person's mouth. You might hear someone told to "shut their gob" if they're being a bit too loud. It can also mean a thick, messy lump of something, like a gob of toothpaste or a gob of mud. And if you have "gobs" of something, such as money or time, it means you have a lot of it. It's an informal, punchy word that paints a vivid, and sometimes messy, picture.
The word "gob" has a few common uses in informal English. One of the oldest and best-known is "mouth," especially in British and Irish speech. If someone says "shut your gob," they mean "be quiet" in a rude or joking way. If a person has "the gift of the gob," it means they are very good at talking and can often persuade people easily.
Beyond the mouth itself, "gob" can also mean a lump of something thick, wet, or sticky. You might talk about a gob of glue, paint, mud, or spit. In this sense, the word often suggests something messy or unpleasant. It is also used as a verb in some varieties of English, where "to gob" means "to spit."
Finally, "gobs" can mean a very large amount of something. You can have gobs of whipped cream, gobs of money, or gobs of talent. This use is still informal, but it is common and easy to understand from context. Overall, the word is casual, vivid, and slightly rough, so it fits everyday speech much better than formal writing.
Examples
- 1
Baby mess
The baby had yogurt all over his gob after breakfast.
- 2
Rude command
"Shut your gob and listen for a minute," she snapped.
Usage
shut your gob
a rude, informal way to say stop talking
- 3
Large amount
They’ve got gobs of money, so they can afford the repairs.
Phrase
gobs of
a lot of
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- gobnoun
Forms
- gobspluralnoun