MEANING
To scoop, cut, or tear material out, leaving a deep hollow or channel.
Use it for
Deep removal injuries; claw marks; traces of violent extractionMake the missing material and remaining hollow the focal image.
Words that belong together
- gouge out an eye
- gouged flesh
- gouge a deep channel
On the page
Claws had gouged channels down the creature's flank.
The skull bore a cavity where someone had gouged out the eye.
She gouged a mark into the door to count another day.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- gouge / gouges
- Past tense
- gouged
- Past participle
- gouged
- Present participle
- gouging
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- gouge / gouges
- Present continuous
- am/is/are gouging
- Present perfect
- have/has gouged
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been gouging
- Past
- gouged
- Past continuous
- was/were gouging
- Past perfect
- had gouged
- Past perfect continuous
- had been gouging
- Future
- will gouge / gouges
- Future continuous
- will be gouging
- Future perfect
- will have gouged
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been gouging
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Removal and depth matter; gouge out is natural for destructive injury to an eye. The financial sense means overcharging. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: gouge, gouges, gouged, gouged, gouging.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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