- goal
- noun1 (in sports) frame into which a ball is kicked/hitADJECTIVE▪ open▪
He kicked the ball into an open goal.
VERB + GOAL▪ go in, play in▪The goalkeeper was injured so a defender had to go in goal.
PREPOSITION▪ in goal▪Who's in goal for Arsenal?
2 point scored in a gameADJECTIVE▪ brilliant (esp. BrE), excellent, good, great, spectacular (esp. BrE), stunning (esp. BrE), superb (esp. BrE), well-taken (BrE)▪ scrappy (BrE), soft▪The fans were annoyed that the team gave away such a soft goal.
▪ decisive (esp. BrE), winning▪ equalizing▪ important, useful (BrE), vital (BrE)▪ own (BrE)▪Vega scored an unfortunate own goal when he slipped as he tried to clear the ball.
▪ field (in rugby and American football)▪Two field goals gave the Tigers an early lead.
▪ penalty (in football/soccer)VERB + GOAL▪ get, score▪ kick (in rugby and American football)▪ head, head in (both in football/soccer)▪ make▪Bahr made his fifth field goal of the day.
(in American football)▪Visconti scored one goal himself and made two for Lupo.
(in football/soccer)▪ concede, give away (BrE), let in▪ allow, disallow▪The referee disallowed the goal.
GOAL + VERB▪ come from sb/sth▪The equalizing goal came from Cole.
▪The second goal came from a penalty.
(in football/soccer)PREPOSITION▪ goal against▪They scored three goals against the home team.
▪ goal for▪his first goal for Spain
▪ goal from▪A late goal from Owen won the game for Liverpool.
3 aimADJECTIVE▪ immediate, short-term▪Our immediate goal is to earn enough money to keep the business going.
▪ long-term, ultimate▪ main, major, primary, prime▪ clear, explicit, specific, stated▪ ambitious▪They have set themselves some ambitious goals.
▪ modest▪ desirable▪ achievable, attainable, realistic▪ unattainable, unrealistic▪ elusive▪ personal▪ common▪We are all working towards/toward a common goal.
▪ twin▪The prison service pursues the twin goals of the punishment and rehabilitation of offenders.
▪ strategic▪ politicalVERB + GOAL▪ have▪It is important to have explicit goals.
▪ share▪ define, establish, set (sb)▪ pursue, strive for, work towards/toward▪ achieve, attain, reachPREPOSITION▪ goal of▪their goal of providing free university education for everyone
Collocations dictionary. 2013.