Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having or revealing stupidity; foolish, silly, or ridiculous: The word "gooselike" describes a person, behavior, or idea that is characterized by a lack of intelligence or common sense, often in a way that seems absurd or laughable. It implies a simple-minded or dopey quality.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • His gooselike grin made everyone question if he understood the serious situation.
  • The plan was dismissed as a gooselike scheme with no chance of success.
  • She felt gooselike for forgetting her own phone number.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a humorous or mildly derogatory way to criticize an action or thought as being particularly foolish, comparing the lack of wisdom to the perceived simple-mindedness of a goose.
  • The committee's gooselike decision to build a park with no benches was widely mocked.

Variants and Related Words

• Anserine (adj): A more formal, often zoological term meaning "of or resembling a goose," but it can also be used synonymously with "stupid" or "foolish."
• Dopey (adj): Sluggish or stupid, as if under the influence of a drug; silly.
• Foolish (adj): Lacking good sense or judgment; unwise.

Synonyms

• Silly
• Foolish
• Stupid
• Ridiculous
• Asinine

Related Idioms and Phrases

• While not a direct idiom, the comparison is rooted in the cultural stereotype of the goose as a foolish bird. Related expressions include:
  • "Silly goose": A mild, often affectionate term for someone acting foolishly.

    • Oh, you silly goose, you locked your keys in the car again!

Adjective

1. having or revealing stupidity
   • ridiculous anserine behavior
   • a dopey answer
   • a dopey kid
   • some fool idea about rewriting authors' books