1 C1 neutral
To remove something by digging or cutting forcefully, leaving a hole or hollow.
"The sculptor gouged out the centre of the wooden block to create the bowl's shape."
separable
gouge out
C1 neutral separable transitive
To remove something by digging, cutting, or forcing it out, leaving a hole or cavity; often violent in connotation.
In plain English
To dig or scoop something out forcefully, making a hole or hollow — like taking someone's eye out or digging a chunk from wood.
What does "gouge out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
To violently remove an eye or a body part (often used in dramatic or violent contexts).
"The attacker threatened to gouge out his eyes if he didn't cooperate."
“
He could feel the man trying to gouge his eyes out.
— Cormac McCarthy, 'No Country for Old Men' (2005).
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To use a sharp tool (gouge) to cut or dig a hollow piece from something.
Actually means
To dig or scoop something out forcefully, making a hole or hollow — like taking someone's eye out or digging a chunk from wood.
Usage tip
Has a strong physical and often violent connotation. Used literally (e.g. gouging out earth, gouging out eyes) and figuratively (e.g. the policy gouged out resources from the community). The eye-gouging sense is common in dramatic or horror contexts.
Words that pair with "gouge out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
eyes hole channel earth cavity section
How to conjugate "gouge out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
gouge out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gouges out
he/she/it
Past simple
gouged out
yesterday
Past participle
gouged out
have + pp
-ing form
gouging out
continuous
Hear "gouge out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "gouge out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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