goodness knows

idiom
UK: /ˈɡʊdnəs nəʊz/
US: /ˈɡʊdnəs noʊz/

  1. Used to express surprise or a lack of knowledge about something

    1. Goodness knows what he wants.
    2. Goodness knows, it's a difficult situation, but we have to try our best to resolve this.

Synonyms

heaven knows lord knows
goodness knows interjection

  1. An expression of mild shock, surprise, or concern.

    1. Goodness knows, I didn't expect this!
    2. Oh, goodness knows what will happen if they find out about the secret plans for that party.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "goodness knows" is /ˈɡʊdnəs nəʊz/ in British English and /ˈɡʊdnəs noʊz/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "goodness knows": heaven knows, lord knows.

Example usage of "goodness knows": "Goodness knows what he wants.". More examples on the page.