goodness knows

phrase

informal
used to make a statement more forceful
He finally got a raise. Goodness knows he deserved one.

Examples of goodness knows in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Because this is one of the best hotels of its kind to have opened in goodness knows how long. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Jan. 2026 Those who speak out, goodness knows what happens to them. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025 Since being taken over by PIF in June 2023, Al Hilal have spent over £400m on new signings and goodness knows what more on wages. Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 25 July 2025 And this was something squeezed into lunch breaks and coffee breaks and goodness knows what else. Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024 These are the same people who have called Biden senile and have tried without any evidence to impeach him for goodness knows what. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Goodness knows.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goodness%20knows. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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