goalie

IPA/ˈɡəʊ.li/
KK[ɡˈoli]IPA/ˈɡoʊ.li/

goalie — noun

  • goaliesingular
  • goaliesplural

1. in games like ice hockey, soccer, or lacrosse, the player whose job is to stay n

1.nounB1
Definition

in games like ice hockey, soccer, or lacrosse, the player whose job is to stay near their team's net or goal and block shots from the opposing side; an informal short form of goalkeeper.

Example

Noa dived left and tipped the ball over the bar, her first save as goalie.

noun phrase: as the new goalie

The coach told Emre to play goalie for the second half of the practice match.

collocation: play goalie

Common collocations
  • starting goalie
  • backup goalie
  • play goalie
  • pull the goalie
  • rookie goalie
Synonyms
  • goalkeeper

    more formal; standard in match reports and rulebooks

  • keeper

    informal British soccer shorthand, similar register to goalie

  • netminder

    ice-hockey term, often in commentary

Antonyms
  • striker

    soccer player whose job is to score, not defend the net

  • forward

    attacking player on a hockey or soccer team

Grammar Patterns

the goalie + verb

play (in) goalie

Usage Note

Informal everyday word; in match reports and formal writing 'goalkeeper' is more common. Used in any sport that has a net or goal to defend (ice hockey, field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, water polo).

Common Mistakes

I want to be the goalie scorer.
I want to be the goalie.
the goalie's job is to stop goals, not score them; do not pair 'goalie' with 'scorer'.
She goalies for our team.
She plays goalie for our team.
'goalie' is a noun, not a verb; use 'play goalie' or 'be the goalie'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name the same person — the player who defends the net — but the register differs sharply. 'Goalkeeper' is the neutral, formal label used in rulebooks, match reports, and broadcast graphics; it works for any sport. 'Goalie' is the everyday informal short form, common in coach talk, family chat, and casual writing across hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and water polo. 'Keeper' is a British soccer shortening at roughly the same informal level as 'goalie', heard most in commentary and fan talk; it is rare in North-American hockey contexts. 'Netminder' is a hockey-specific journalist's word, often used to avoid repeating 'goalie' in the same paragraph. In conversation choose 'goalie'; in a written match report write 'the Argentine goalkeeper made six saves'.

goalie ↗goalkeeper ↗keeper ↗netminder ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • goalie mask
  • goalie pads
  • goalie coach
  • backup goalie
  • starting goalie

Phrases

  • pull the goalie
  • play goalie
  • rookie goalie

Prepositions

  • in goal
  • between the posts

Etymology

Middle EnglishEnglish

An informal English shortening of 'goalkeeper' that arose in late-19th-century sports slang. 'Goal' comes from Middle English 'gol' (a boundary or limit), and the '-ie' ending is the affectionate diminutive used in many other English nicknames (e.g. cabbie, bookie). The form first spread through ice-hockey and soccer reporting and is now the everyday word in North American hockey culture.