[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

goad \goad\, v. t. imp.  p. p. goaded; p. pr.  vb. n.
   goading.
   to prick; to drive with a goad; hence, to urge forward, or to
   rouse by anything pungent, severe, irritating, or inflaming;
   to stimulate.
   1913 webster

         that temptation that doth goad us on.    --shak.

   syn: to urge; stimulate; excite; arouse; irritate; incite;
        instigate.
        1913 webster
see also:
goaded goading 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

goad \goad\, n. as. g=ad; perh. akin to as. g=ar a dart,
   and e. gore. see gore, v. t.
   a pointed instrument used to urge on a beast; hence, any
   necessity that urges or stimulates.
   1913 webster

         the daily goad urging him to the daily toil.
                                                  --macaulay.
   1913 webster
see also:
gore 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

goad
     n 1: a pointed instrument used to prod into motion syn: prod
     2: a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something;
        "the ceaseless prodding got on his nerves" syn: goading,
         prod, prodding, urging, spur, spurring
     v 1: give heart or courage to syn: spur
     2: urge with or as if with a goad
     3: prod or urge as if with a log stick syn: prick
     4: goad or provoke,as by constant criticism; "he needled her
        with his sarcastic remarks" syn: needle
see also:
prod goading prodding urging spur spurring 
prick needle 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

104 moby thesaurus words for "goad":
   actuate, animate, assault, bear, bear upon, boost, buck, bull,
   bulldoze, bump, bump against, bunt, butt, butt against, cage,
   catalyst, coerce, compel, compulsion, corral, cram, crowd, desire,
   dig, drive, drive on, drove, egg on, elbow, exhort, flog, force,
   forward, gad, gadfly, give an impetus, give momentum, herd, hurtle,
   hustle, impel, impetus, impulse, impulsion, incentive, incitation,
   incite, incitement, instigate, jab, jam, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle,
   lash, lust, motivate, motivation, move, needle, nudge, oxgoad,
   passion, pile drive, poke, power, press, prick, prod, prompt,
   propel, punch, punch cattle, push, put in motion, ram, ram down,
   rattle, ride herd on, round up, rowel, run, run against,
   set agoing, set going, set in motion, shake, shepherd, shoulder,
   shove, sic, spur, stimulant, sting, stress, tamp, thrust, urge,
   whip, whip on, whiplash, wrangle, zeal

[5] : Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

goad
   heb. malmad, only in judg. 3: 31, an instrument used by
   ploughmen for guiding their oxen. shamgar slew six hundred
   philistines with an ox-goad. "the goad is a formidable weapon.
   it is sometimes ten feet long, and has a sharp point. we could
   now see that the feat of shamgar was not so very wonderful as
   some have been accustomed to think."
   
     in 1 sam. 13:21, a different hebrew word is used, _dorban_,
   meaning something pointed. the expression acts 9:5, omitted in
   the r.v., "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks",
   i.e., against the goad, was proverbial for unavailing resistance
   to superior power.
   

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