# gee

/ˈdʒi/ (US) · /dʒˈiː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gee
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. showing surprise

interjection · CEFR B1 · Informal · American English

you say this when you are surprised, impressed, or slightly annoyed.

For teachers: an exclamation used to express mild surprise, enthusiasm, or disappointment.

- Gee, I didn't expect to see you here so early.
- Gee, that is a remarkably generous offer, though I will need a few days to consult with my partners.

Teaching tip: Often considered a mild or 'polite' substitute for stronger expletives; very common in mid-20th century American media.

### 2. a thousand dollars

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a slang word for one thousand dollars.

For teachers: a slang term for a thousand dollars or pounds.

- The repairs on the car are going to cost at least two gee.
- He managed to walk away from the table with five gee in his pocket after a lucky streak at poker.

Usage: Usually remains 'gee' in the plural when following a number.

Teaching tip: Common in crime fiction and older street slang; 'grand' is much more frequent in modern speech.

### 3. unit of gravity

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a unit used to measure how much force gravity or speed puts on something.

For teachers: a unit of acceleration equal to the standard acceleration of gravity at the Earth's surface.

- Fighter pilots have to train to handle high gees during sharp turns.
- The spacecraft was designed to withstand a force of up to seven gees during the initial atmospheric reentry phase.

Usage: Often written as 'g' or 'G' in scientific contexts.

### 5. the letter G

noun · CEFR B2

the name of the letter 'G'.

For teachers: the phonetic name for the seventh letter of the English alphabet.

- The word 'giraffe' starts with a soft gee.
- The child struggled to distinguish between the written form of a capital gee and a capital C.

### 6. vulva

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · Vulgar · Dialect · British English

a very informal and sometimes rude word for a woman's private parts.

For teachers: a slang term for the vulva or vagina, primarily used in Ireland.

- He got in trouble for using the word gee in front of his teacher.
- The comedian's routine relied heavily on local slang, including frequent references to the word gee.

Usage: Specific to Hiberno-English (Irish) slang.

Teaching tip: Learners should be warned that this is considered highly offensive or crude in many social contexts in Ireland.

## Examples

- Gee, I didn't see you standing there!
- Gee, that is a lot of money to spend on a single pair of shoes.
- While the younger generation might find it quaint, the elderly man still used 'gee' as his primary expression of astonishment whenever he saw a modern gadget.

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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.