go1

Syllabification: (go)

Pronunciation: /gō/

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Definition of go

verb (goes, going; past went /went/; past participle gone /gôn, gän/)

1 [no object] move from one place or point to another; travel:he went out to the store she longs to go back home we’ve got a long way to go
travel a specified distance:you just have to go a few miles to get to the road
travel or move in order to engage in a specified activity or course of action:let’s go and have a beer [with infinitive]:we went to see her [with present participle]:she used to go hunting
(go to) attend or visit for a particular purpose:we went to the movies he went to Brown University
[in imperative] begin motion (used in a starter’s order to begin a race):ready, set, go!
(go to) (of a rank or honor) be allotted or awarded:the top prize went to a twenty-four-year-old sculptor
(go into/to/toward) (of a thing) contribute to or be put into (a whole); be used for or devoted to:considerable effort went into making the operation successful
pass a specified amount of time in a particular way or under particular circumstances:sometimes they went for two months without talking
used to indicate how many people a supply of food, money, or another resource is sufficient for or how much can be achieved using it:the sale will go a long way toward easing the huge debt burden a little luck can go a long way
(of a thing) lie or extend in a certain direction:the scar started just above her ankle and went all the way up inside her leg
change in level, amount, or rank in a specified direction:prices went up by 15 percent
informal used to emphasize the speaker’s annoyance at a specified action or event:then he goes and spoils it all [with present participle]:don’t go poking your nose where you shouldn’t
informal said in various expressions when angrily or contemptuously dismissing someone:go and get stuffed

2 [no object] leave; depart:I really must go
(of time) pass or elapse:the hours went by three years went past
come to an end; cease to exist:a golden age that has now gone for good 11,500 jobs are due to go by next year
leave or resign from a post:I tried to persuade the Chancellor not to go
be lost or stolen:when he returned minutes later, his equipment was gone
die (used euphemistically):I’d like to see my grandchildren before I go
(of money) be spent, especially in a specified way:the rest of his money went into medical expenses

3 (be going to be/do something) intend or be likely or intended to be or do something; be about to (used to express a future tense):I’m going to be late for work she’s going to have a baby

4 [no object] pass into a specified state, especially an undesirable one:the food is going bad her mind immediately went blank he’s gone crazy
(go to/into) enter into a specified state, institution, or course of action:she turned over and went back to sleep the car went into a spin no one went hungry in our house
make a sound of a specified kind:the engine went bang
(of a bell or similar device) make a sound in functioning:I heard the buzzer go four times
[with direct speech] informal say:the kids go, “Yeah, sure.”
(go by/under) be known or called by (a specified name):he now goes under the name Charles Perez

5 [no object] proceed in a specified way or have a specified outcome; turn out:how did the weekend go? it all went off smoothly
be successful, especially in being enjoyable or exciting:the hosts had to struggle to make things go
be acceptable or permitted:underground events where anything goes
(of a song, account, verse, etc.) have a specified content or wording:if you haven’t heard it, the story goes like this

6 [no object] be harmonious, complementary, or matching:rosemary goes with roast lamb the earrings and the scarf don’t really go
be found in the same place or situation; be associated:cooking and eating go together

7 [no object] (of a machine or device) function:my car won’t go
continue in operation or existence:the committee was kept going even when its existence could no longer be justified

8 [no object] (of an article) be regularly kept or put in a particular place:remember which card goes in which slot
fit or be able to be accommodated in a particular place or space:you’re trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, and it just won’t go

9 [no object] informal use a toilet; urinate or defecate.

noun (plural goes)

informal

1an attempt or trial at something:I thought I’d give it a go
chiefly British a state of affairs:this seems a rum sort of go
chiefly British an attack of illness:he’s had this nasty go of dysentery
a project or undertaking that has been approved:tell them the project is a go
chiefly British used in reference to a single item, action, or spell of activity:he put it to his lips then knocked it back in one go

2 dated spirit, animation, or energy:there’s no go in me at all these days
vigorous activity:it’s all go around here

adjective

[predic.] informal

functioning properly:all systems go

Phrases

as (or so) far as it goes: bearing in mind its limitations (said when qualifying praise of something):the book is a useful catalog as far as it goes
as —— go: compared to the average or typical one of the specified kind:as castles go, it is small and old
from the word go: informal from the very beginning.
go figure!: informal said to express the speaker’s belief that something is amazing or incredible.
go great guns: see gun.
go halves: share something equally.
going! (, going!,) gone!: an auctioneer’s announcement that bidding is closing or closed.
going on —— (British alsogoing on for ——): approaching a specified time, age, or amount:I was going on fourteen when I went to my first gig
go (to) it: British informal act in a vigorous, energetic, or dissipated way:Go it, Dad! Give him what for!
go it alone: see alone.
go to show (or prove): (of an occurrence) serve as evidence or proof of something specified.
have a go at
have —— going for one: informal used to indicate how much someone has in their favor or to their advantage:Why did she do it? She had so much going for her
make a go of: informal be successful in (something):he’s determined to make a go of his marriage
on the go: informal very active or busy:he’s been on the go all evening
to go: (of food or drink from a restaurant or cafe) to be eaten or drunk off the premises:order one large cheese-and-peppers pizza, to go
what goes around comes around: proverb the consequences of one’s actions will have to be dealt with eventually.
who goes there?: said by a sentry as a challenge.

Phrasal Verbs

go about
go after: pursue or hunt down (someone).
go against: oppose or resist:he refused to go against the unions; be contrary to (a feeling or principle):these tactics go against many of our instincts; (of a judgment, decision, or result) be unfavorable for:the tribunal’s decision went against them
go ahead: proceed or be carried out without hesitation:the project will go ahead
go along with: give one’s consent or agreement to (a person or their views):the group has decided to go along with the committee’s proposal
go around
go around with: be regularly in the company of:he goes around with some of the neighborhood kids
go at: energetically attack or tackle:he went at things with a daunting eagerness
go back
go back on: fail to keep (a promise):he wouldn’t go back on his word
go down
go down on: vulgar slang perform oral sex on.
go down with: British begin to suffer from (a specified illness):I went down with an attack of bronchitis
go for
go forward: (of a clock) be set to a later standard time, especially daylight saving time.
go in for: like or habitually take part in (something, especially an activity):I don’t go in for partying as much as Jesse and Rachel do
go into
go off
go on
go out
go over
go round: chiefly BritishSee go around.
go through
go through with: perform (an action or process) to completion despite difficulty or unwillingness:he bravely went through with the ceremony
go under: (of a business) become bankrupt.; (of a person) die or suffer an emotional collapse.
go up
go with
go without: suffer lack or deprivation:I like to give my children what they want, even if I have to go without

Origin:

Old English gān, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gaan and German gehen; the form went was originally the past tense of wend

The use of go followed by and, as in I must go and change (rather than I must go to change), is extremely common but is regarded by some grammarians as an oddity. For more details, see and (usage).

go in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of go in the British & World English dictionary

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Other

verb (goes, going; past went /went/; past participle gone /gôn, gän/)

noun (plural goes)

adjective

Phrases

as (or so) far as it goes

as —— go

from the word go

go figure!

go great guns

go halves

going! (, going!,) gone!

going on —— (British alsogoing on for ——)

go (to) it

go it alone

go to show (or prove)

have a go at

have —— going for one

make a go of

on the go

to go

what goes around comes around

who goes there?

Phrasal Verbs

go about

go after

go against

go ahead

go along with

go around

go around with

go at

go back

go back on

go down

go down on

go down with

go for

go forward

go in for

go into

go off

go on

go out

go over

go round

go through

go through with

go under

go up

go with

go without

Origin:

go in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for go

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