Members of a Germanic people who lived in northern Europe during the Roman Empire, or modern people who embrace gothic fashion and dark aesthetics.
From Latin 'Gothi,' the historical Germanic tribe. The Goths were rebranded as symbols of barbarism and darkness during the Renaissance, leading to 'gothic' as an aesthetic. Modern goth subculture (1980s onward) deliberately embraced this 'dark' reputation.
The historical Goths had nothing to do with dark clothing or vampire aesthetics—but Renaissance scholars used their name as a slur for 'barbaric.' Modern goths reclaimed the insult and made it fierce. It's one of language's strangest journeys: tribe → insult → identity.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.