Agog

WORD OF THE DAY

agog / adjective / uh-GAHG

Definition

1: full of intense interest or excitement 

2: eager

Examples

We were all agog over the rumor that the famous actor would be coming to town for his next movie.

"As we went through the book, we felt like little children while turning page after page, agog at the incredible artwork! Although the subject of faeries might be considered for kids, this is not a book full of cute little Tinkerbells." 

— Ed and Cynthia Justus, The Garden Island (Lihue, Hawaii), 2 Mar. 2018

Did You Know?

English speakers have been clamoring over the word agog for over 450 years. The word probably derives from the Middle French phrase en gogues, but the semantic link between en gogues (meaning "in a state of mirth") and the earliest English uses of agog, which exist in the phrase "to set agog" ("to excite, stimulate, make eager"), are not entirely clear. 

The -gog part of the word might make one wonder if agog has a connection to the verb goggle, meaning "to stare with wide or protuberant eyes," as in the manner of one who is intensely excited about something. 

That word actually has a different origin: the Middle English gogelen, meaning "to squint." 

In many instances, agog is followed by a preposition, such as over or about.