Meanings
plural goalposts
- hobbiesOne of the two vertical side poles of a goal.
Some kids were having a kickabout on the grass beside the walkway, cheering, groaning, calling for the ball, absorbed in the game, a self-contained universe marked out by jackets for goalposts and invisible touchlines.
2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 107 - American footballThe tall Y-shaped upright, now usually of fiberglass, at either end of the playing field, through which a football must go in order for a field goal to be scored. (They were originally H-shaped, with one wooden post on either side.)
- A rule or target that is "moved" (changed) unfairly; see move the goalposts.
[…] whatever you eat, how much you drink, you know the goalposts keep moving all the time, and it's difficult to be sure that, but I don't think it's harmful, not the amount I drink.
2012, Sarah L. Holloway, Mark Jayne, Gill Valentine, Alcohol, Drinking, Drunkenness: (Dis)Orderly Spaces, page 55
Origin
Translations
Catalan pal de la porteria
- pal de la porteriavertical side pole of a goal
Chinese Mandarin 門柱 /门柱
- 門柱 /门柱 (ménzhù)vertical side pole of a goal
Finnish maalitolppa, tolppa
- maalitolppavertical side pole of a goal
- tolppavertical side pole of a goal
French poteau, poteau de but
- poteauvertical side pole of a goal
- poteau de butvertical side pole of a goal
German Torpfosten
- Torpfostenvertical side pole of a goal
Greek κάθετο δοκάρι
- κάθετο δοκάρι (kátheto dokári)vertical side pole of a goal
Icelandic marksúla, markstöng
- marksúlavertical side pole of a goal
- markstöngvertical side pole of a goal
Indonesian tiang gawang
- tiang gawangvertical side pole of a goal
Irish cuaille báire
- cuaille báirevertical side pole of a goal
Italian palo
- palovertical side pole of a goal
Japanese ゴールポスト
- ゴールポスト (gōruposuto)vertical side pole of a goal
Korean 골포스트, 골대
- 골포스트 (golposeuteu)vertical side pole of a goal
- 골대 (goldae)vertical side pole of a goal
Malay gawang
- gawangvertical side pole of a goal
Māori pou piro, pou ūhanga
- pou pirovertical side pole of a goal
- pou ūhangavertical side pole of a goal
Norwegian målstang, stang
- målstangvertical side pole of a goal
- stangvertical side pole of a goal
Polish słupek
- słupekvertical side pole of a goal
Portuguese trave
- travevertical side pole of a goal
Romanian ștachetă
- ștachetăvertical side pole of a goal
Russian шта́нга
- шта́нга (štánga)vertical side pole of a goal
Scottish Gaelic post-bàire
- post-bàirevertical side pole of a goal
Swedish stolpe, målstolpe
- stolpevertical side pole of a goal
- målstolpevertical side pole of a goal
Turkish gol direği
- gol direğivertical side pole of a goal
Ukrainian шта́нга
- шта́нга (štánha)vertical side pole of a goal
Welsh postyn gôl
- postyn gôlvertical side pole of a goal
Zulu uthi class 11/10
- uthi class 11/10vertical side pole of a goal
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with goalpost
Cite this entry
goalpost. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goalpost
“goalpost.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goalpost. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “goalpost,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goalpost.
Source: goalpost on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.