Where it sits
There's no step above goated. That's the point.
Tell it apart
| Aspect | Goated | The GOAT |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | Adjective | Noun (acronym) |
| How many can there be? | Plenty | One, in theory |
| Typical subject | Anything | Athletes, artists |
"The GOAT" is a title, and there's supposed to be only one. "Goated" is an adjective you can give out freely: a song, a snack and a teacher can all be goated on the same day.
What it doesn't mean
In sports, a lowercase "goat" was long the athlete who failed at the worst moment. The acronym GOAT reversed it.
What it really means
Goated is the top of the scale. It means considered the best: the GOAT, or greatest of all time. The word started with sports legends, but today a sandwich, a teacher or a playlist can be goated too.
The acronym's history runs through two famous names. Muhammad Ali spent decades calling himself "the greatest", and in 1992, Wikipedia records, his wife Lonnie incorporated "Greatest of All Time, Inc." (G.O.A.T. Inc.) to manage his intellectual property. In 2000, LL Cool J released an album called G.O.A.T., another early use of the acronym. From there it became a staple of sports commentary, which led Merriam-Webster to recognise GOAT as an acronym and noun in 2018.
The adjective came next. Wiktionary's earliest print citation for goated is from Sports Illustrated in September 2017, and by 2021 news outlets were using it about rap groups and athletes alike.
There's a nice twist in the word's history. In older sports slang, Wikipedia notes, a lowercase goat was the athlete who failed spectacularly at the worst possible time. The acronym reversed that: the same four letters went from the worst thing to call a player to the best.
Where it comes from
greatest of all time
adjective ending
An acronym turned into an adjective. In older sports slang, a lowercase "goat" was the player who blew the game, so the word has flipped completely.
- 1992
Muhammad Ali's wife Lonnie incorporates "Greatest of All Time, Inc." (G.O.A.T. Inc.) to manage his intellectual property (Wikipedia).
- 2000
LL Cool J releases the album G.O.A.T., an early use of the acronym (Wikipedia).
- 15 September 2017
Wiktionary's earliest print citation for goated, in Sports Illustrated.
- 2018
Merriam-Webster recognises GOAT as an acronym and noun (Wikipedia).
In real life
- Text: "that new sandwich place is goated, we're going again Friday"
- Text: "Mr Patel was a goated teacher honestly"
- Text: "this playlist is goated, send me the link"
Questions
Q01What does goated mean?
Considered the best: "the greatest of all time". It works for anything you rate highly: "this café is goated".
Q02What does GOAT stand for?
Greatest of all time. Muhammad Ali's company was incorporated as G.O.A.T. Inc. in 1992, and LL Cool J's 2000 album G.O.A.T. was another early use of the acronym. Merriam-Webster recognised it in 2018.
Q03Why was goat once an insult in sports?
In older sports slang, the goat was the player who failed spectacularly at the worst possible moment. The acronym GOAT turned it around.