GOAT

/goht/

noun · attributive noun

Meaning

GOAT is an abbreviation for “greatest of all time.” It describes a person regarded as the best ever in a sport, profession, art form or other field, and is also used more loosely for an outstanding performance, creation or personal favorite.[2][3]

1. A person considered the best ever in a particular field: Serena Williams is the GOAT of women’s tennis.
2. A person whose influence, achievements or consistency make them a lasting standard for others.
3. An exceptional thing, performance or creation, often used in casual praise: That album is the GOAT.
4. A playful or exaggerated compliment for someone who has just done something exceptionally well.

Examples

“That save was GOAT behavior.”

“My brother is the GOAT at finding cheap flights.”

“Everyone has a different answer for who the basketball GOAT is.”

“This is the GOAT sandwich, no debate.”

“She dropped the winning track and immediately entered GOAT status.”

Origin and spread

GOAT is formed from the initial letters of “greatest of all time” and is pronounced like the ordinary word goat. The phrase itself predates the abbreviation and was used to praise exceptional athletes, including Muhammad Ali. The earliest documented use of the modern acronym identified in the available record is a 1993 De La Soul rap verse. LL Cool J helped bring the abbreviation into wider public view with his 2000 album G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), after which it became especially common in sports discussion and later spread into music, entertainment and online slang. This positive acronym sense is separate from the older sports use of lowercase goat for a player blamed for a defeat.[4]

How to use it

GOAT is informal and strongly approving. It is most natural when the comparison is broad or deliberately emphatic, as in “the GOAT of tennis” or “that finale was GOAT.” Because it makes an absolute claim, people often use it playfully or argue about it in sports and fan communities. Capital letters are common, while G.O.A.T. is a traditional punctuated form; lowercase goat can be confusing because it may refer to the animal or, in older sports usage, a player blamed for a loss.

Sources

1. Grammarphobia — G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time)
2. Los Angeles Times — For Now at Least, LL Cool J Is the ‘Greatest’Supports: meaning.
3. The Washington Post — LL Cool J, Recapturing His YouthSupports: meaning.
4. Apple Music — G.O.A.T. Featuring James T. Smith - The Greatest of All TimeSupports: origin.