# goodness gracious

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/goodness-gracious
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Expressing great surprise.

## Examples

- Goodness gracious, you scared me!
- Goodness gracious, I cannot believe you actually finished that massive project in only two days.
- Goodness gracious, the sheer scale of the destruction left by the storm was enough to silence even the most talkative members of the community.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.