Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb goad

4 senses of goad

Sense 1
spur, goad -- (give heart or courage to)
       => encourage -- (inspire with confidence; give hope or courage to)

Sense 2
goad -- (urge with or as if with a goad)
       => prod, incite, egg on -- (urge on; cause to act; "The other children egged the boy on, but he did not want to throw the stone through the window")

Sense 3
goad, prick -- (stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick)
       => stab, jab -- (stab or pierce; "he jabbed the piece of meat with his pocket knife")

Sense 4
needle, goad -- (goad or provoke,as by constant criticism; "He needled her with his sarcastic remarks")
       => harass, hassle, harry, chivy, chivvy, chevy, chevvy, beset, plague, molest, provoke -- (annoy continually or chronically; "He is known to harry his staff when he is overworked"; "This man harasses his female co-workers")

Antonyms of adj goaded

1 sense of goaded

Sense 1
driven, goaded -- (compelled forcibly by an outside agency; "mobs goaded by blind hatred")

INDIRECT (VIA involuntary) -> voluntary -- (of your own free will or design; done by choice; not forced or compelled; "man is a voluntary agent"; "participation was voluntary"; "voluntary manslaughter"; "voluntary generosity in times of disaster"; "voluntary social workers"; "a voluntary confession")

Similarity of adj goaded

1 sense of goaded

Sense 1
driven, goaded -- (compelled forcibly by an outside agency; "mobs goaded by blind hatred")
       => involuntary (vs. voluntary), nonvoluntary, unvoluntary -- (not subject to the control of the will; "involuntary manslaughter"; "involuntary servitude"; "an involuntary shudder"; "It (becoming a hero) was involuntary. They sank my boat"- John F.Kennedy)