go

1
[ goh ]
See synonyms for go on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object),went [went], /wɛnt/, gone [gawn, gon], /gɔn, gɒn/, go·ing.
  1. to move or proceed, especially to or from something: They're going by bus.

  2. to leave a place; depart: People were coming and going all the time.

  1. to keep or be in motion; function or perform as required: Can't you go any faster in your work?

  2. to become as specified: to go crazy.

  3. to continue in a certain state or condition; be habitually: to go barefoot.

  4. to act as specified: Go warily if he wants to discuss terms.

  5. to act so as to come into a certain state or condition: to go into debt; to go to sleep.

  6. to be known: to go by a false name.

  7. to reach, extend, or give access to: Where does this door go?

  8. to pass or elapse: The time went fast.

  9. to be applied, allotted, awarded, transferred, etc., to a particular recipient or purpose: My money goes for food and rent.

  10. to be sold: The house went for very little.I have a bid of two hundred dollars. Going! Going! Gone!

  11. to be considered generally or usually: He's short, as basketball players go.

  12. to serve as a means: This only goes to prove the point.

  13. to result or end; turn out: How did the game go?

  14. to belong; have a place: This book goes on the top shelf.

  15. (of colors, styles, etc.) to harmonize; be compatible; be suited: Your tweed jacket would go better with these pants.

  16. to fit around or into; be able to be extended, contained, inserted, etc.: This belt won't go around my waist.

  17. to be or become consumed, spent, finished, etc.: The cake went fast.

  18. to be or become discarded, dismissed, put aside, forgotten, etc.: Those practical jokes of yours have got to go!

  19. to develop, progress, or proceed, especially with reference to success or satisfaction: How is your new job going?

  20. to move or proceed with remarkable speed or energy: Look at that airplane go!

  21. to make a certain sound: The gun goes bang.

  22. to be phrased, written, or composed: How does that song go?

  23. to seek or have recourse for a decision, verdict, corroboration, defense, etc.; resort: to go to court.

  24. to become worn-out, weakened, ineffective, etc.: His eyesight is beginning to go.

  25. to die: The old man went peacefully at 3 a.m.

  26. to fail, break, or give way: The dike might go any minute.

  27. to come into action; begin: Go when you hear the bell.

  28. to make up a quantity or content; be requisite: Sixteen ounces go to the pound.

  29. to be able to be divided; be contained as a mathematical element: Three goes into fifteen five times.

  30. to contribute to an end result: the items that go to make up the total.

  31. to have as one's goal; intend (usually used in the present tense, followed by an infinitive): Their daughter is going to be a doctor.

  32. to be permitted, approved, or the like: Around here, anything goes.

  33. to be authoritative; be the final word: This is my house, and what I say goes!

  34. to subject oneself: Don't go to any trouble.

  35. (used in the infinitive as an intensifier to indicate the idea of proceeding, especially with the expectation of serious consequences): He finally had to go ask for a loan.

  36. Informal. to urinate or defecate.

verb (used with object),went [went], /wɛnt/, gone [gawn, gon], /gɔn, gɒn/, go·ing.
  1. Informal. to risk, pay, afford, bet, or bid: I'll go fifty dollars for a ticket, but no more.

  2. to move or proceed with or according to: Going my way?

  1. to share or participate in to the extent of (often followed by a complementary substantive): to go halves.

  2. to yield, produce, weigh as a usable amount, or grow to: This field will go two bales of cotton.

  3. to assume the obligation, responsibility, or function of: His father went bail for him.

  4. Informal. to enjoy, appreciate, desire, or want: I could go a big steak dinner right now.

  5. Informal. to say, declare, think, or feel (usually used to introduce reported speech or thought): I asked the clerk for my receipt, and he goes, “You don't need it.”

  6. Informal. to endure or tolerate: I can't go his preaching.

noun,plural goes.
  1. the act of going: the come and go of the seasons.

  2. energy, spirit, or animation: a man with a lot of go.

  1. a try at something; attempt: to have a go at winning the prize.

  2. a successful accomplishment; success: to make a go of a new business.

  3. Informal. approval or permission, as to undertake or begin something: The boss gave us the go on the new project.

  4. Informal. a business agreement; deal; bargain: Thirty dollars? It's a go.

  5. Boxing. a bout: the main go.

interjection
  1. (in calling the start of a race) start the race; leave the starting line: On your mark! Get set! Go!

adjective
  1. functioning properly and ready: two minutes before the satellite is to be launched and all systems are go.

Verb Phrases
  1. go about,

    • to occupy oneself with; perform: The shoemaker goes about his work with a smile.

    • Nautical. to change course by tacking or wearing.

  2. go after, to attempt to obtain; strive for: You'll never get what you want if you don't go after it energetically.

  1. go against, to be in conflict with or opposed to: It goes against the company's policy.

  2. go ahead, to proceed without hesitation or delay: If you want to use my car, go ahead.

  3. go along,

    • to move or proceed.

    • to accompany in travel.

    • to agree; concur: I can't go along with you on that idea.

  4. go around,

    • to be often in company (often followed by with): to go around with a bad crowd.

    • to be sufficient for all: Is there enough food to go around?

    • to pass or circulate, as in transmission or communication: The rumor is going around that he was forced to resign.

  5. go at,

    • to assault; attack: He’s lucky I went at him with just my fists when I could have gone at him with a weapon.

    • to begin or proceed vigorously: to go at one's work with a will.

  6. go back on. back2 (def. 7).

  7. go by,

    • to be disregarded or not taken advantage of: Don't let this chance go by.

    • to be guided by or to rely upon: Don't go by what she says.

  8. go down,

    • to decrease or subside, as in amount or size: Prices went down. The swelling is going down.

    • to descend or sink: When does the sun go down?

    • to suffer defeat: to go down fighting.

    • to be accepted or believed: This nonsense goes down as truth with many persons.

    • to admit of being consumed: This food goes down easily.

    • to be remembered in history or by posterity.

    • Slang. to happen; occur: What's been going down since I've been away?

    • British. to leave a university, permanently or at the end of a term.

    • Bridge. to fall short of making one's contract.

    • Slang: Vulgar. to perform fellatio or cunnilingus.

  9. go for,

    • to make an attempt at; try for: He is going for the championship.

    • to assault.

    • to favor; like: It simply isn't the kind of life you would go for.

    • to be used for the purpose of or be a substitute for: material that goes for silk.

  10. go in for,

    • to adopt as one's particular interest; approve of; like.

    • to occupy oneself with; engage in: Europeans in increasing numbers are going in for camping.

  11. go into,

    • to discuss or investigate: Let's not go into the question of whose fault it was.

    • to undertake as one's study or work: to go into medicine.

  12. go in with, to join in a partnership or union; combine with: He asked me to go in with him on the purchase of a boat.

  13. go off,

    • to explode, fire, or perform or begin to function abruptly: A gun went off in the distance.

    • (of what has been expected or planned) to happen: The interview went off very badly.

    • to leave, especially suddenly: She went off without saying goodbye.

    • to die.

    • to deteriorate.

    • Slang. to experience orgasm.

  14. go on,

    • to happen or take place: What's going on here?

    • to continue: Go on working.

    • to behave; act: Don't go on like that!

    • to talk effusively; chatter.

    • (used to express disbelief): Go on, you're kidding me.

    • to appear onstage in a theatrical performance: I go on in the middle of the second act.

  15. go out,

    • to come to an end, especially to fade in popularity: Silent movies went out as soon as the talkies were perfected.

    • to cease or fail to function: The lights went out.

    • to participate in a social activity: We usually go out drinking on Friday nights.

    • Informal. to have a continuing romantic relationship: They went out for about a year before getting married.

    • to take part in a strike: The printers went out yesterday in a contract dispute.

    • Rummy. to dispose of the last card in one's hand by melding it on the table.

    • Cards. to achieve a point score equal to or above the score necessary to win the game.

  16. go over,

    • to repeat; review.

    • to be effective or successful: The proposal went over very well with the trustees.

    • to examine: The mechanic went over the car but found nothing wrong.

    • to read; scan.

  17. go through,

    • to bear; experience.

    • to examine or search carefully: He went through all of his things but couldn't find the letter.

    • to be successful; be accepted or approved: The proposed appropriation will never go through.

    • to use up; spend completely: He went through his allowance in one day.

  18. go through with, to persevere with to the end; bring to completion: It was perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, and she resolved to go through with it.

  19. go under,

    • to be overwhelmed or ruined; fail.

    • (of a ship) to founder.

  20. go up,

    • to be in the process of construction, as a building.

    • to increase in cost, value, etc.

    • to forget one's lines during a theatrical performance.

    • British. to go to a university at the beginning of a term.

  21. go with, Informal. to have a continuing romantic relationship with; date: He went with her for two years.

Idioms about go

  1. from the word “go”, from the very start; since the beginning.

  2. go and, to be so thoughtless, unfortunate, or silly as to: It was going to be a surprise but he went and told her.

  1. go ape over / for. ape (def. 7).

  2. go at it,

    • to fight or argue vehemently or violently: My brothers went at it all the time when they were younger, but never did more damage than a black eye or two.

    • to have sex or engage in passionate kissing and caressing; make out: There were couples going at it in all of the parked cars on Lover’s Lane.

  3. go bananas. bananas (def. 2).

  4. go down on, Slang: Vulgar. to perform fellatio or cunnilingus on.

  5. go for broke. broke (def. 9).

  6. go for it, Informal. to pursue a goal with determination.

  7. go it alone, to act or proceed independently, without assistance, companionship, or the like: If you don't want to form a partnership, I'll go it alone.

  8. go native. native (def. 25).

  9. go steady. steady (def. 18).

  10. go the whole hog. See entry at whole hog.

  11. go there, to discuss or think about a specific, typically undesirable topic (usually used negatively): No personal questions, please—I don't go there.

  12. go to!, Archaic.

    • you don't say! I don't believe you!

    • let's do it! come on!

  13. go together,

    • to be appropriate or harmonious: The rug and curtains don't go together.

    • Informal. to keep company; date; court: They have gone together for two years.

  14. go to it, Informal. to begin vigorously and at once.

  15. let go,

    • to release one's grasp or hold: Please let go of my arm.

    • to free; release.

    • to cease to employ; dismiss: Business was slack and many employees were let go.

    • to become unrestrained; abandon inhibitions: She'd be good fun if she would just let go and enjoy herself.

    • to dismiss; forget; discard: Once he has an idea, he never lets go of it.

  16. let go with, to express or utter with abandon: He let go with a sudden yell.

  17. let oneself go,

    • to free oneself of inhibitions or restraint: Let yourself go and get mad once in a while.

    • to let one's physical appearance decline; stop taking care of one's appearance: aging TV stars who've really let themselves go.

  18. no go. See entry at no-go.

  19. on the go,

    • very busy; active: She's always on the go.

    • while going from place to place; while traveling.

  20. to go, Informal. (of food) for consumption off the premises where sold: coffee to go.

Origin of go

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English gon, Old English gān; cognate with Old High German gēn, German gehen

Other words for go

Opposites for go

Other definitions for go (2 of 3)

go2
[ goh ]

noun
  1. a Japanese game for two persons, played on a board having 361 intersections on which black and white stones or counters are alternately placed, the object being to block off and capture the opponent's stones and control the larger part of the board.

Origin of go

2
First recorded in 1840–50; from Japanese, shortening of earlier igo, from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese wéi qí “encirclement board game”
  • Also called I-go [ee-goh] /ˈiˈgoʊ/ .

Other definitions for G.O. (3 of 3)

G.O.

abbreviation
  1. general office.

  2. general order.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use go in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for go (1 of 3)

go1

/ (ɡəʊ) /


verbgoes, going, went or gone (mainly intr)
  1. to move or proceed, esp to or from a point or in a certain direction: to go to London; to go home

  2. (tr; takes an infinitive, often with to omitted or replaced by and) to proceed towards a particular person or place with some specified intention or purpose: I must go and get that book

  1. to depart: we'll have to go at eleven

  2. to start, as in a race: often used in commands

  3. to make regular journeys: this train service goes to the east coast

  4. to operate or function effectively: the radio won't go

  5. (copula) to become: his face went red with embarrassment

  6. to make a noise as specified: the gun went bang

  7. to enter into a specified state or condition: to go into hysterics; to go into action

  8. to be or continue to be in a specified state or condition: to go in rags; to go in poverty

  9. to lead, extend, or afford access: this route goes to the north

  10. to proceed towards an activity: to go to supper; to go to sleep

  11. (tr; takes an infinitive) to serve or contribute: this letter goes to prove my point

  12. to follow a course as specified; fare: the lecture went badly

  13. to be applied or allotted to a particular purpose or recipient: her wealth went to her son; his money went on drink

  14. to be sold or otherwise transferred to a recipient: the necklace went for three thousand pounds

  15. to be ranked; compare: this meal is good as my meals go

  16. to blend or harmonize: these chairs won't go with the rest of your furniture

  17. (foll by by or under) to be known (by a name or disguise)

  18. to fit or extend: that skirt won't go round your waist

  19. to have a usual or proper place: those books go on this shelf

  20. (of music, poetry, etc) to be sounded; expressed, etc: how does that song go?

  21. to fail or give way: my eyesight is going

  22. to break down or collapse abruptly: the ladder went at the critical moment

  23. to die: the old man went at 2 am

  24. (often foll by by)

    • (of time) to elapse: the hours go by so slowly at the office

    • to travel past: the train goes by her house at four

    • to be guided (by)

  25. to occur: happiness does not always go with riches

  26. to be eliminated, abolished, or given up: this entry must go to save space

  27. to be spent or finished: all his money has gone

  28. to circulate or be transmitted: the infection went around the whole community

  29. to attend: go to school; go to church

  30. to join a stated profession: go to the bar; go on the stage

  31. (foll by to) to have recourse (to); turn: to go to arbitration

  32. (foll by to) to subject or put oneself (to): she goes to great pains to please him

  33. to proceed, esp up to or beyond certain limits: you will go too far one day and then you will be punished

  34. to be acceptable or tolerated: anything goes in this place

  35. to carry the weight of final authority: what the boss says goes

  36. (foll by into) to be contained in: four goes into twelve three times

  37. (often foll by for) to endure or last out: we can't go for much longer without water in this heat

  38. (tr) cards to bet or bid: I go two hearts

  39. (tr) informal, mainly US to have as one's weight: I went 112 pounds a year ago

  40. US and Canadian (usually used in commands takes an infinitive without to)

    • to start to act so as to: go shut the door

    • to leave so as to: go blow your brains out

  41. informal to perform well; be successful: that group can really go

  42. (tr) not standard to say: widely used, esp in the historic present, in reporting dialogue: Then she goes, ``Give it to me!'' and she just snatched it

  43. go and informal to be so foolish or unlucky as to: then she had to go and lose her hat

  44. be going to intend or be about to start (to do or be doing something): often used as an alternative future construction: what's going to happen to us?

  45. go ape slang to become crazy, enraged, or out of control

  46. go ape over slang to become crazy or extremely enthusiastic about

  47. go astray to be mislaid; go missing

  48. go bail to act as surety

  49. go bush See bush 1 (def. 14)

  50. go halves See half (def. 15)

  51. go hard (often foll by with) to cause trouble or unhappiness (to)

  52. go it slang to do something or move energetically

  53. go it alone informal to act or proceed without allies or help

  54. go much on informal to approve of or be in agreement with (something): usually used in the negative: I don't go much on the idea

  55. go one better informal to surpass or outdo (someone)

  56. go the whole hog informal See hog (def. 9)

  57. let go

    • to relax one's hold (on); release

    • euphemistic to dismiss (from employment)

    • to discuss or consider no further

  58. let oneself go

    • to act in an uninhibited manner

    • to lose interest in one's appearance, manners, etc

  59. to go

    • remaining

    • US and Canadian informal (of food served by a restaurant) for taking away

nounplural goes
  1. the act of going

  2. informal

    • an attempt or try: he had a go at the stamp business

    • an attempt at stopping a person suspected of a crime: the police are not always in favour of the public having a go

    • an attack, esp verbal: she had a real go at them

  1. a turn: it's my go next

  2. informal the quality of being active and energetic: she has much more go than I

  3. informal hard or energetic work: it's all go

  4. informal a successful venture or achievement: he made a go of it

  5. informal a bout or attack (of an illness): he had a bad go of flu last winter

  6. informal an unforeseen, usually embarrassing or awkward, turn of events: here's a rum go

  7. informal a bargain or agreement

  8. all the go informal very popular; in fashion

  9. from the word go informal from the very beginning

  10. no go informal impossible; abortive or futile: it's no go, I'm afraid

  11. on the go informal active and energetic

adjective
  1. (postpositive) informal functioning properly and ready for action: esp used in astronautics: all systems are go

Origin of go

1
Old English gān; related to Old High German gēn, Greek kikhanein to reach, Sanskrit jahāti he forsakes

British Dictionary definitions for go (2 of 3)

go2

I-go

/ (ɡəʊ) /


noun
  1. a game for two players in which stones are placed on a board marked with a grid, the object being to capture territory on the board

Origin of go

2
from Japanese

British Dictionary definitions for GO (3 of 3)

GO

/ military /


abbreviation for
  1. general order

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