goldilocks

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/ˈɡəʊldilɒks/Atlantic Canada, US/ˈɡoʊldiˌlɑks/Canada, dialectal/ˈɡoʊldiˌlɒks/

noun

A person with golden hair, especially a girl with long hair.

Similar
goldilocks asterAster linosyrisLinosyris vulgaris
UncommonScrabble 18

Meanings

goldilocks1

noungoldilocks (plural goldilocks)

alternative uncommon goldylocks

  1. A person with golden hair, especially a girl with long hair.
  2. A goldilocks aster (Aster linosyris).

Goldilocks2

proper noun
  1. A golden-haired young girl, featuring as the protagonist of a traditional fairy tale, who inquisitively enters the house of three bears and tries their three bowls of porridge, three chairs, and three beds, in each case finding only one that suits her.

    Tennis players are the Goldilocks characters of sports. The balls are too big, or too small. The courts are too fast, or too slow. It’s too cold, or too hot, or too sticky, or too sunny.

    2022 September 6, Matthew Futterman, “The Great U.S. Open Ball Debate of 2022”, in The New York Times
  2. attributivefigurativelyA happy medium or optimal point between two extremes.

    He sighed at the Goldilocks temperature. Jane might think different, but this felt perfect to him.

    2014, Laura Stapleton, The Very Best Man, Stapleton Enterprises, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    Once the appropriate levels are stabilized at a Goldilocks level, not too detailed nor too summarized, then the connection of the ABC/M data to business problems, their analysis, and ultimate solutions can follow.

    2002, Gary Cokins, Activity-Based Cost Management: An Executive's Guide, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 87

    The mathematically rigorous texts, on the other hand, are unreadable for the non- specialist. I was looking for something in-between, a Goldilocks volume pitched just at my level, neither too easy nor too difficult.

    2013, Peter Collier, A Most Incomprehensible Thing: Notes Towards a Very Gentle Introduction to the Mathematics of Relativity, Incomprehensible Books, →ISBN, page 14

Synonyms & antonyms

nounearly-flowering perennial of southern and southeastern Europe with flower heads resembling those of goldenrod

Similar
goldilocks asterAster linosyrisLinosyris vulgaris
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

goldilocks · noun

From goldy + locks. Goldilocks is a traditional children's story and its protagonist.

Full word history & related roots →

Goldilocks · proper noun

Apparently from goldilocks, equivalent to goldy + locks (“tuft of hair, curl”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Gouelokkies
  • Gouelokkiesfairy tale character
Bulgarian Златокоска
  • Златокоска (Zlatokoska)fairy tale character
Catalan Rínxols d'Or
  • Rínxols d'Orfairy tale character
Chinese Mandarin 金髮姑娘 /金发姑娘
  • 金髮姑娘 /金发姑娘 (Jīnfà Gūniang)fairy tale character
Czech zlatovláska, hvězdnice zlatovlásek
  • zlatovláskaperson with golden hair
  • hvězdnice zlatovlásekAster linosyris
Danish Guldlok
  • Guldlokfairy tale character
Dutch Goudlokje
  • Goudlokjefairy tale character
Esperanto Orbuklulino
  • Orbuklulinofairy tale character
Estonian Kuldkihar
  • Kuldkiharfairy tale character
Finnish kultakutri, kultakutriasteri
  • kultakutriperson with golden hair
  • kultakutriasteriAster linosyris
  • Kultakutrifairy tale character
  • juuri sopivahappy medium
French boucles d'or, Boucles d'or
  • boucles d'orperson with golden hair
  • Boucles d'orfairy tale character
German Goldlöckchen, Goldlöckchen
  • Goldlöckchenperson with golden hair
  • Goldlöckchenfairy tale character
Hungarian aranyhajú kislány, aranyfürt
  • aranyhajú kislányperson with golden hair
  • aranyfürtAster linosyris
  • Aranyfürtöcskefairy tale character
Icelandic Gullbrá
  • Gullbráfairy tale character
Italian riccioli d'oro, biondina
  • riccioli d'oroperson with golden hair
  • biondinaperson with golden hair
  • Riccioli d'orofairy tale character
Japanese ゴルディロックス 金髪の巻き毛ちゃん
  • ゴルディロックス 金髪の巻き毛ちゃん (Gorudirokkusu)fairy tale character
Korean 골디락스
  • 골디락스 (Goldirakseu)fairy tale character
Polish złotowłosy, złotowłosa
  • złotowłosyperson with golden hair
  • złotowłosaperson with golden hair
  • ożota zwyczajnaAster linosyris
  • aster ożotaAster linosyris
  • Złotowłosafairy tale character
  • złoty środekhappy medium
Portuguese loirinha, Cachinhos dourados
  • loirinhaperson with golden hair
  • Cachinhos douradosfairy tale character
Russian Златовла́ска, Златовла́ска
  • Златовла́ска (Zlatovláska)person with golden hair
  • Златовла́ска (Zlatovláska)fairy tale character
  • золота́я середи́на (zolotája seredína)happy medium
Spanish ricitos de oro, ricitos áureos
  • ricitos de oroperson with golden hair
  • ricitos áureosperson with golden hair
  • ricitos áuricosperson with golden hair
  • ricitos doradosperson with golden hair
  • Ricitos de Orofairy tale character
  • Ricitos Áureosfairy tale character
  • Ricitos Áuricosfairy tale character
  • Ricitos Doradosfairy tale character
  • óptimohappy medium
  • ricitos de orohappy medium
Swedish Guldlock
  • Guldlockfairy tale character
Cite this entry
APA

goldilocks. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goldilocks

MLA

“goldilocks.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goldilocks. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “goldilocks,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goldilocks.

Source: goldilocks on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.