Egg — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈeg/

Meaning & Definition of Egg

Egg (noun)

  1. the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken; also, its contents used as food
  2. an animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum together with its nutritive and protective envelopes and having the capacity to develop into a new individual capable of independent existence
  3. ovum

Egg (verb)

  1. to incite to action —usually used with on
  2. to cover with egg
  3. to pelt with eggs

Egg (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a member of the human race

    "kindhearted and generous, she's a real good egg by anyone's standard"

    similar: baby, being, bird, bod (British), body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, individual, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight, son of man
    related: hominid, homo, humanoid, brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor, celebrity, personality, self, somebody
    near: animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

Egg (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in whip, prompt

    similar: exhort, flog, goad, hound, press, prick, prod, prompt, scourge, spur, whip, wrangle, shepherd, drive, herd, punch, run

Related Entry: Egg (on) (verb)

Egg (on) is a different word from Egg. The synonyms below are for egg (on), not for egg.

  1. to try to persuade (someone) through earnest appeals to follow a course of action

    "though exhausted, I was egged on by spectators to finish the marathon"

    similar: encourage, exhort, goad, nudge, press, prod, prompt, urge
    related: drive, propel, spur, stimulate, hurry, hustle, push, rush, adjure, beseech, implore, importune, blandish, cajole, coax, soft-soap, wheedle, high-pressure, nag, needle, pressure, foment, incite, instigate, provoke, stir (up)
    near: deter, discourage, dissuade, brake, check, constrain, curb, hold back, inhibit, restrain

Related Entry: Egg on one's face (phrase)

Egg on one's face is a different word from Egg. The synonyms below are for egg on one's face, not for egg.

  1. the emotional state of being made self-consciously uncomfortable

    "Bested by his peers, he mumbled something and walked away with egg on his face."

    similar: abashment, confusion, discomfiture, disconcertment, embarrassment, fluster, mortification
    related: agitation, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discomposure, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturbance, perturbation, unease, uneasiness, upset, disgrace, ignominy, shame, debasement, degradation, humiliation, mortification, humble pie
    near: aplomb, assurance, composure, confidence, coolness, equanimity, poise, self-assurance, self-confidence, self-possession

Related Entry: Goose egg (noun)

Goose egg is a different word from Egg. The synonyms below are for goose egg, not for egg.

  1. the numerical symbol 0 or the absence of number or quantity represented by it

    "was such a bad bowler that his final score was a big, fat goose egg"

    similar: aught, cipher, naught, nil, nothing, o, oh, zero, zilch, zip
    related: blank, void

Related Entry: Nest egg (noun)

Nest egg is a different word from Egg. The synonyms below are for nest egg, not for egg.

  1. a sum of money set aside for a particular purpose

    "paid for the computer out of his nest egg"

    similar: account, budget, deposit, fund, kitty, pool
    related: chest, coffer(s), assets, savings, savings account, bankroll, cache, collection, cushion, hoard, pocketbook, reserve, treasure, petty cash, pin money, pocket money, spending money

Related Entry: Lay an egg (phrase)

Lay an egg is a different word from Egg. The synonyms below are for lay an egg, not for egg.

  1. to make a mistake

    "His book report was going perfectly until he laid an egg and got the main character's name wrong."

    similar: blunder, boob (British), err, flub, fluff, foul up, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), screw up, slip up, stumble, trip, drop the ball
    related: nod, bobble, botch, bungle, butcher, foozle, mangle, mishandle, muff, murder, miscalculate, misconceive, miscount, miscue, misdeem, misgauge, misjudge, mistake, misconstrue, misinterpret, misunderstand

  2. to be unsuccessful

    "The gymnast nailed perfect landings on her first two vaults but really laid an egg on the third."

    similar: bomb, collapse, crater, fail, flame out, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, strike out, tank, wash out, come a cropper, come to grief, come up empty, die on the vine, fall flat, fall on one's face, fall short
    related: flounder, struggle, decline, sink, skid, slip, slump, wane, crash, crumble, miscarry, misfire, go under, implode, self-destruct
    opposite: click, come off, deliver, go, go over, pan out, succeed, work out
    near: cook, flourish, prosper, thrive, prevail, triumph, win

Related Entry: Laid an egg (phrase)

Laid an egg is a different word from Egg. The synonyms below are for laid an egg, not for egg.

  1. to make a mistake

    "His book report was going perfectly until he laid an egg and got the main character's name wrong."

    similar: blundered, boobed (British), erred, flubbed, fluffed, fouled up, fumbled, goofed (up), loused up, messed (up), screwed up, slipped up, stumbled, tripped, dropped the ball
    related: nodded, bobbled, botched, bungled, butchered, foozled, mangled, mishandled, muffed, murdered, miscalculated, misconceived, miscounted, miscued, misdeemed, misgauged, misjudged, mistook, misconstrued, misinterpreted, misunderstood

  2. to be unsuccessful

    "The gymnast nailed perfect landings on her first two vaults but really laid an egg on the third."

    similar: bombed, collapsed, cratered, failed, flamed out, flopped, flunked, folded, foundered, missed, struck out, tanked, washed out, came a cropper, came to grief, came up empty, died on the vine, fell flat, fell on one's face, fell short
    related: floundered, struggled, declined, sank, skidded, slipped, slumped, waned, crashed, crumbled, miscarried, misfired, went under, imploded, self-destructed
    opposite: came off, clicked, delivered, panned out, succeeded, went, went over, worked out
    near: cooked, flourished, prospered, thrived, prevailed, triumphed, won

Related Entry: Lays an egg (phrase)

Lays an egg is a different word from Egg. The synonyms below are for lays an egg, not for egg.

  1. to make a mistake

    "His book report was going perfectly until he laid an egg and got the main character's name wrong."

    similar: blunders, boobs (British), errs, flubs, fluffs, fouls up, fumbles, goofs (up), louses up, messes (up), screws up, slips up, stumbles, trips, drops the ball
    related: nods, bobbles, botches, bungles, butchers, foozles, mangles, mishandles, muffs, murders, miscalculates, misconceives, miscounts, miscues, misdeems, misgauges, misjudges, mistakes, misconstrues, misinterprets, misunderstands

  2. to be unsuccessful

    "The gymnast nailed perfect landings on her first two vaults but really laid an egg on the third."

    similar: bombs, collapses, craters, fails, flames out, flops, flunks, folds, founders, misses, strikes out, tanks, washes out, comes a cropper, comes to grief, comes up empty, dies on the vine, falls flat, falls on one's face, falls short
    related: flounders, struggles, declines, sinks, skids, slips, slumps, wanes, crashes, crumbles, miscarries, misfires, goes under, implodes, self-destructs
    opposite: clicks, comes off, delivers, goes, goes over, pans out, succeeds, works out
    near: cooks, flourishes, prospers, thrives, prevails, triumphs, wins

Related Entry: Laying an egg (phrase)

Laying an egg is a different word from Egg. The synonyms below are for laying an egg, not for egg.

  1. to make a mistake

    "His book report was going perfectly until he laid an egg and got the main character's name wrong."

    similar: blundering, boobing (British), erring, flubbing, fluffing, fouling up, fumbling, goofing (up), lousing up, messing (up), screwing up, slipping up, stumbling, tripping, dropping the ball
    related: nodding, bobbling, botching, bungling, butchering, foozling, mangling, mishandling, muffing, murdering, miscalculating, misconceiving, miscounting, miscuing, misdeeming, misgauging, misjudging, mistaking, misconstruing, misinterpreting, misunderstanding

  2. to be unsuccessful

    "The gymnast nailed perfect landings on her first two vaults but really laid an egg on the third."

    similar: bombing, collapsing, cratering, failing, flaming out, flopping, flunking, folding, foundering, missing, striking out, tanking, washing out, coming a cropper, coming to grief, coming up empty, dying on the vine, falling flat, falling on one's face, falling short
    related: floundering, struggling, declining, sinking, skidding, slipping, slumping, waning, crashing, crumbling, miscarrying, misfiring, going under, imploding, self-destructing
    opposite: clicking, coming off, delivering, going, going over, panning out, succeeding, working out
    near: cooking, flourishing, prospering, thriving, prevailing, triumphing, winning

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Egg

The most common words with a similar meaning to Egg:

British: bod
baby, being, bird, body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, individual, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight, son of man, exhort, flog, goad, hound, press, prick, prod, prompt

Related Words for Egg

hominid, homo, humanoid, brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor, celebrity, personality, self, somebody

Near Antonyms of Egg

animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

Word Forms of Egg

Inflections: egged, egging, eggs

Derived words: eggless (adjective), eggy (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Egg

Middle English egge, from Old Norse egg; akin to Old English ǣg egg, Latin ovum, Greek ōion

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Egg

Words & Phrases Containing Egg

egg and dart, egg case, egg cell, egg cream, egg drop soup, egg foo yong, egg on one's face

Frequently Asked Questions about Egg

What does "Egg" mean?

"Egg" means the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken; also, its contents used as food. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken; also, its contents used as food. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Egg"?

Other words for "Egg" include baby, being, bird, bod, body, character, cookie and creature. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Egg" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Egg"?

There are 61 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Egg". Common alternatives include baby, being, bird, bod, body, character, cookie, creature, customer and devil.

How do you use "Egg" in a sentence?

Examples of "Egg" in a sentence: "kindhearted and generous, she's a real good egg by anyone's standard".

Is "Egg" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Egg" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Egg" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Egg" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Egg"?

"Egg" is pronounced /ˈeg/.

What is the origin of the word "Egg"?

"Egg" comes from Middle English egge, from Old Norse egg; akin to Old English ǣg egg, Latin ovum, Greek ōion. First known use: 14th century.