Standard Lemma guide

goalpost

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɡəʊlpəʊst/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɡɔʊl-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈɡoʊlpoʊst/
  • rhymes with -əʊst
  • CMU ARPABET: G OW1 L P OW2 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One of the two vertical side poles of a goal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The tall Y-shaped upright, now usually of fiberglass, at either end of the playing field, through which a football must go in order for a field goal to be scored. (They were originally H-shaped, with one wooden post on either side.)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: American-football, ball-games, football, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A rule or target that is "moved" (changed) unfairly; see move the goalposts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

one of a pair of posts (usually joined by a crossbar) that are set up as a goal at each end of a playing field

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: post

History

Etymology

From goal + post.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ուղղահայաց դարպասաձող (uġġahayacʻ darpasajoġ) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Armenian: շտանգա (štanga) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Catalan: pal de la porteria — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Chinese Mandarin: 門柱 /门柱 (ménzhù) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Faroese: stong — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Faroese: málstong — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Finnish: maalitolppa — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Finnish: tolppa — vertical side pole of a goal
  • French: poteau — vertical side pole of a goal
  • French: poteau de but — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Georgian: სპორტული (sṗorṭuli) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Georgian: კარების ძელი (ḳarebis ʒeli) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • German: Torpfosten — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Greek: κάθετο δοκάρι (kátheto dokári) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Icelandic: marksúla — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Icelandic: markstöng — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Indonesian: tiang gawang — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Ingrian: rajapatsas — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Irish: cuaille báire — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Italian: palo — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Japanese: ゴールポスト (gōruposuto) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Korean: 골포스트 (golposeuteu) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Korean: 골대 (goldae) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Malay: gawang — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Malayalam: ഗോൾ പോസ്റ്റ് (gōḷ pōsṟṟŭ) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Māori: pou piro — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Māori: pou ūhanga — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Norwegian: målstang — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Norwegian: stang — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Polish: słupek — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Portuguese: trave — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Romanian: ștachetă — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Russian: шта́нга (štánga) — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Scottish Gaelic: post-bàire — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Swedish: stolpe — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Swedish: målstolpe — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Turkish: gol direği — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Welsh: postyn gôl — vertical side pole of a goal
  • Zulu: uthi class 11/10 — vertical side pole of a goal
Real reading context

goalpost in complete knowledge articles

Shot on goal (ice hockey) Ideas & learning · Accessible · 1 uses