gotta
American-
got to; have got to.
I can’t stay—I gotta get up early tomorrow.
-
got a; have got a.
Hey, man, gotta light?
verb
Usage
See get.
Etymology
Origin of gotta
First recorded in 1885–90 in spelling gotter, representing the r-less British pronunciation of the phrase (have) got to or (have) got a in continuous rapid speech
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I wonder if they’re intentionally not giving them enough salmon to so create discord and chaos,” said one viewer, “It’s gotta be such good salmon. A good smoked salmon can change your life.”
From Salon
“I wonder if they’re intentionally not giving them enough salmon to so create discord and chaos,” said one viewer, “It’s gotta be such good salmon. A good smoked salmon can change your life.”
From Salon
“We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years” collects 73 tracks from 1976 and ’77, including outtakes, demos, a remastered version of the “Love You” LP and the first official release of the widely bootlegged “Adult/Child,” which puts Wilson’s touchingly emotive singing amid orchestral arrangements in a glossy big-band style.
From Los Angeles Times
But the effervescent co-host of the hit “Girls Gotta Eat” podcast will do more than just tell her “crazy, insane stories for an hour.”
From Los Angeles Times
Unsurprisingly, Greenberg said yes and in 2018, the “Girls Gotta Eat” podcast was born.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
