# goalie

/ˈɡoʊɫi/ (US) · /ɡˈəʊli/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. sports player

noun · CEFR A2 · Informal

the player in a game like football or hockey whose job is to stop the ball or puck from going into the goal.

For teachers: the player designated to defend the goal and prevent the opposing team from scoring. A common informal shortening of 'goalkeeper'.

- Our goalie made a great save in the last minute of the game.
- The team's regular goalie was sidelined with a knee injury, forcing the coach to start an inexperienced substitute for the championship match.

### 2. to play the position

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to play the position of goalkeeper in a game.

For teachers: to perform the duties of a goalkeeper; to tend the goal. This verbal use is less common than the noun and typically occurs in casual contexts.

- It was my turn to goalie during the second half of the match.
- He spent the entire afternoon goalieing for his younger brothers in the driveway until it became too dark to see the ball.

Usage: The verb is intransitive and often appears in the progressive '-ing' form in casual speech.

## Examples

- The goalie made a great save in the last minute.
- After the starting goalie was injured, the backup player had to step in for the championship game.
- The team's success this season is largely attributed to their goalie, whose exceptional reflexes and positioning have consistently frustrated even the league's most prolific strikers.

---

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.