Gollied

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Expressing surprise or mild astonishment; reacting with unexpectedness or shock; uttering a term to convey disbelief or admiration
2. Conveying a spontaneous exclamation showing amazement, wonder, or slight shock; used as an interjection to highlight surprise or incredulity; reflecting a sudden emotional reaction to an event or statement
3. Demonstrating a vocal expression of being impressed, startled, or caught off guard; serving as a colloquial phrase indicating unexpectedness or excitement; employed to emphasize a reaction of unexpected delight or concern

Etymology: "Gollied" is simply the past tense of "golly," so its story is really the story of the exclamation behind it. "Golly" is a euphemism for "God," dating from the 18th century, and it was a way of blurting out surprise while sidestepping a religious oath. The most plausible explanation for the sound is that it is a compaction of "God's body," with the oath worn down until only the harmless-sounding syllables remained. The verb form followed naturally. Once "golly" became a word people shouted in surprise, speakers could treat it like any other verb, so someone who had just exclaimed it had "gollied." The ending is the ordinary regular past tense, nothing more unusual than the "-ed" on "jumped" or "shouted."

Synonyms: moved quickly, ran, hurried, rushed, darted

Antonyms: stayed, lingered, waited, idled, loitered