gothic
/ˈɡɑ.θɪk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.65 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
An extinct Germanic language, once spoken by the Goths.
adj
Barbarous, rude, unpolished, belonging to the “Dark Ages”, medieval as opposed to classical.
adj
Of or relating to the architectural style favored in Western Europe in the 12th to 16th centuries, with high-pointed arches, clustered columns, etc.
adj
Of or relating to the style of fictional writing associated with Gothic fiction, emphasizing violent or macabre events in a mysterious, desolate setting.
adj
Synonym of black letter.
Example Sentences
- "“[W]hat he holds of all things to be most gothic, is gallantry to the women.”"
- "Enormities which gleam like comets through the darkness of gothic and superstitious ages."
- "Gothic arches"
- "Or does the L.C.C. [London County Council] dislike nineteenth century Gothic?"
- "The Gothic style did not cease to exist: it did, however, cease to be all-powerful, and it almost ceased to create new forms. Gothic architects had by this time drawn every possible conclusion from the premises which had been laid down […]"
- "Gothic tales"
Etymology
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɡɑ.θɪk/
- British English: /ˈɡɒθ.ɪk/
Usage
- American usage
Inflected Forms
Gothick (alternative, obsolete)
goffick (alternative)
more Gothic (comparative)
most Gothic (superlative)
Gothics (plural)
Derived Forms
Phrases
Crimean Gothic
Wiktionary’s coverage of Gothic terms
gothic rock
neo-Gothic
Suio-Gothic
gothic fiction
gothic horror
gothic metal