Goad — A Vocabulary Story
The sandcastle challenge
Isabella sat under her beach umbrella, carefully building the most amazing sandcastle she'd ever made. She had towers, a moat, and even a little bridge made from popsicle sticks.
"That's a pretty small castle," her older brother Jake said, grinning mischievously. "I bet you can't build one taller than mine."
Isabella ignored him and kept working.
"Come on, Isabella! Are you scared you'll lose?" Jake continued, trying to goad her into a competition.
Goad means to provoke or annoy someone so as to stimulate some action or reaction. It can also mean to drive or urge on.
Jake kept at it. "I guess you're just not brave enough to race me," he said, knowing exactly how to goad his sister. "You always give up on challenges."
Isabella's hands stopped. She looked up at her brother, then at her careful castle. She knew what Jake was doing — he was trying to goad her, to push her buttons until she'd abandon her beautiful creation and rush to compete with him instead.
"Nice try, Jake," Isabella said calmly, smoothing more sand onto her tower. "But I'm not going to let you goad me into rushing. I'm making this castle exactly the way I want it."
Jake's teasing smile faded. He hadn't expected that.
Their dad, who'd been watching from his beach chair, called out, "Good job, Isabella! You didn't let him goad you into changing your plans."
Later, when Isabella finished her masterpiece, even Jake had to admit it was incredible. He'd tried to goad her into a competition, but by not letting his teasing bother her, Isabella had created something even better than if she'd rushed.
"Want to help me with the decorations?" Isabella asked, holding out a handful of shells.
Jake smiled. "Sure. And sorry for trying to goad you earlier."
Sometimes the best response to someone trying to goad you is simply to stay focused on what matters to you.
Word Definition
goad
meaning
to provoke or annoy someone so as to stimulate some action or reaction; to drive or urge on
synonyms
provoke · bully · spur · incitation · annoy
antonyms
deter · discourage · hindrance
example sentence
He was finally goaded into telling the truth.