22 words starting with G

• gadfly noun

  a person who annoys others by constantly criticizing to provoke action

  A local gadfly writes to the newspaper every week about the potholes.

  Like critic, provocateur, irritant

• gainsay verb

  to deny or contradict something

  No one could gainsay the result of such a careful experiment.

  Like deny, contradict, dispute

• gall noun

  shameless boldness that shows a lack of respect

  He had the gall to ask for a second helping before anyone else had eaten.

  Like nerve, audacity, cheek

• gambit noun

  an opening move or action meant to gain an advantage

  Her opening gambit in the debate was to ask her opponent a surprising question.

  Like ploy, maneuver, stratagem

• garble verb

  to mix up a message so it becomes confused

  The bad phone line garbled his directions to the hotel.

  Like jumble, distort, scramble

• garrulous adjective

  talking too much, especially about unimportant things

  Our garrulous bus driver chatted about his cousins all the way to Pokhara.

  Like talkative, chatty, loquacious

• gauche adjective

  socially awkward and lacking good manners

  It seemed gauche to ask the visitor how much money he earned.

  Like awkward, tactless, clumsy

• gauntlet noun

  a series of hard tests or challenges; a challenge

  The new recipe had to run a gauntlet of tasters before it reached the menu.

  Like ordeal, trial, challenge

• genteel adjective

  polite and refined in a way that is old-fashioned or affected

  They drank tea from fine cups in the genteel manner of an earlier age.

  Like refined, polite, well-mannered

• gesticulate verb

  to make lively gestures while speaking

  The tourist gesticulated wildly, trying to explain where his hotel was.

  Like gesture, signal, wave

• gibe noun

  a mocking or teasing remark

  He ignored the gibes about his old bicycle and rode on.

  Like taunt, jeer, dig

• glut noun

  a supply much larger than is needed

  A glut of tomatoes in the market brought prices down sharply.

  Like surplus, excess, oversupply

• goad verb

  to provoke or urge someone to act, often by annoying them

  His friends goaded him into jumping into the cold river.

  Like prod, spur, provoke

• gossamer adjective

  very light, thin and delicate

  The bride wore a gossamer veil that floated in the breeze.

  Like delicate, filmy, sheer

• gourmand noun

  a person who enjoys eating large amounts of food

  A true gourmand, he ordered three plates of momos and finished them all.

  Like glutton, big eater

• grandiloquent adjective

  using grand, showy language to impress

  The candidate gave a grandiloquent speech full of long words but few ideas.

  Like pompous, bombastic, pretentious

• gratuitous adjective

  done without good reason; unnecessary

  The film was spoiled by gratuitous scenes that added nothing to the story.

  Like unnecessary, unwarranted, needless

• grouse verb

  to complain in a grumbling way about something minor

  The campers groused about the cold water but still enjoyed the trip.

  Like grumble, gripe, moan

• grovel verb

  to act very humbly to win someone’s forgiveness or favor

  He groveled to his sister after forgetting her birthday.

  Like crawl, kowtow, abase oneself

• grudging adjective

  given or done unwillingly

  The rival coach gave a grudging nod of respect to our team.

  Like reluctant, unwilling, half-hearted

• guile noun

  clever but sly intelligence used to trick people

  The fox used guile, not speed, to steal the farmer’s eggs.

  Like cunning, craftiness, trickery

• guileless adjective

  innocent and honest, without any wish to trick others

  The guileless little boy told the shopkeeper he had been given too much change.

  Like innocent, candid, artless