a mild exclamation of surprise, wonder, or frustration.
A euphemistic alteration of 'God,' used to avoid taking the deity's name in vain while still expressing strong emotion. This softening reflects religious politeness conventions.
The word 'gosh' is a euphemism that religious people created to express surprise without breaking rules about taking God's name—and it's so old that most people don't realize they're saying an indirect reference to God when they say it.
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