Go

/ɡu/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang

adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Initialism of graphene oxide.
  • Grammar: go is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: turn, abide, abscond, abstain from.
  • Useful contrasts: no-go, remaining, a halt.
  • Usage evidence: It is inevitable that I go to France someday, I just don't know when.

How to use "go"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "go" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "go" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "go" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "go" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "go" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "turn" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "go", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Initialism of graphene oxide. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
  2. 2
    The act of going. countable, uncommon, uncountable

    "The Apostles were to be the first of a line. They would multiply successors, and the successors would die and their successors after them, but the line would never fail; and the come and go of men would not matter, since it is the one Christ operating through all of them."

  3. 3
    A strategic board game, originally from China and today also popular in Japan and Korea, in which two players (black and white) attempt to control the largest area of the board with their counters. uncountable
  4. 4
    Alternative letter-case form of go (“strategic board game”). alt-of, uncountable

    "It is shown that Stratego is a complex game when compared to other games, such as chess and Hex. The game-tree complexity of 10⁵³⁵ exceeds the game-tree complexity of Go."

  5. 5
    a board game for two players who place counters on a grid; the object is to surround and so capture the opponent's counters wordnet
Show 17 more definitions
  1. 6
    A turn at something, or in something (e.g. a game). countable, uncountable

    "You’ve been on that pinball machine long enough—now let your brother have a go."

  2. 7
    a usually brief attempt wordnet
  3. 8
    An attempt, a try. countable, uncountable

    "I’ll give it a go."

  4. 9
    street names for methylenedioxymethamphetamine wordnet
  5. 10
    A period of activity. countable, uncountable

    "ate it all in one go"

  6. 11
    a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else) wordnet
  7. 12
    A time; an experience. countable, uncountable

    "Even if she was bigger and more mature, she would have a tough go of it. We have read a lot on this diagnosis and have known from the beginning what she has been up against.” “It's true about this being a tough go,” I said. “Listen, I'm very sorry, but I'm on call here tomorrow and I will[…]""

  8. 13
    A circumstance or occurrence; an incident, often unexpected. countable, dated, slang, uncountable

    "1839, Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, in 1868, The Works of Charles Dickens, Volume 2: Nicholas Nickleby, Martin Chuzzlewit, American Notes, page 306, “Well, this is a pretty go, is this here! An uncommon pretty go!"

  9. 14
    An approval or permission to do something, or that which has been approved. countable, uncountable

    "We will begin as soon as the boss says it's a go."

  10. 15
    An act; the working or operation. countable, uncountable

    "1598, John Marston, Pigmalion, The Metamorphosis of Pigmalions Image and Certaine Satyres, 1856, J. O. Halliwell (editor), The Works of John Marston: Reprinted from the Original Editions, Volume 3, page 211, Let this suffice, that that same happy night, So gracious were the goes of marriage […]"

  11. 16
    The fashion or mode. countable, dated, uncountable

    "quite the go"

  12. 17
    Noisy merriment. countable, dated, uncountable

    "a high go"

  13. 18
    A glass of spirits; a quantity of spirits. archaic, countable, slang, uncountable

    "Jack Randall then impatient rose, / And said, ‘Tom's speech were just as fine / If he would call that first of goes [i.e. gin] / By that genteeler name—white wine.'"

  14. 19
    A portion countable, dated, uncountable

    "Albert's uncle had had a jolly good breakfast—fish and eggs and bacon and three goes of marmalade."

  15. 20
    Power of going or doing; energy; vitality; perseverance. uncountable

    "There is no go in him."

  16. 21
    The situation where a player cannot play a card which will not carry the aggregate count above thirty-one. countable, uncountable
  17. 22
    A dandy; a fashionable person. British, countable, obsolete, slang, uncountable

    "That TOM, who was the GO among the GOES, in the very centre of fashion in London, should have to encounter the vulgar stare of this village; or, that the dairy-maid should leave off skimming her cream to take a peep at our hero, as he mounted his courser, is not at all surprising: and TOM only smiled at this provincial sort of rudeness."

Verb
  1. 1
    To move, either physically or in an abstract sense:; To move through space (especially to or through a place). (May be used of tangible things such as people or cars, or intangible things such as moods or information.) intransitive

    "Why don’t you go with us?"

  2. 2
    enter or assume a certain state or condition wordnet
  3. 3
    To move, either physically or in an abstract sense:; To move or travel through time (either literally—in a fictional or hypothetical situation in which time travel is possible—or in one's mind or knowledge of the historical record). (See also go back.) intransitive

    "Yesterday was the second-wettest day on record; you have to go all the way back to 1896 to find a day when more rain fell."

  4. 4
    follow a certain course wordnet
  5. 5
    To move, either physically or in an abstract sense:; To navigate (to a file or folder on a computer, a site on the internet, a memory, etc). intransitive

    "For the best definitions, go to wiktionary.org"

Show 94 more definitions
  1. 6
    pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life wordnet
  2. 7
    To move, either physically or in an abstract sense:; To move (a particular distance, or in a particular fashion).

    "We've only gone twenty miles today."

  3. 8
    be abolished or discarded wordnet
  4. 9
    To move, either physically or in an abstract sense:; To move or travel in order to do something, or to do something while moving. intransitive

    "We went swimming."

  5. 10
    stop operating or functioning wordnet
  6. 11
    To move, either physically or in an abstract sense:; To leave; to move away. intransitive

    "Please don't go!"

  7. 12
    progress by being changed wordnet
  8. 13
    To move, either physically or in an abstract sense:; To follow or proceed according to (a course or path).

    "Let's go this way for a while."

  9. 14
    give support (to) or make a choice (of) one out of a group or number wordnet
  10. 15
    To move, either physically or in an abstract sense:; To travel or pass along.

    "We went the full length of the promenade before we found a place to sit down."

  11. 16
    have a turn; make one's move in a game wordnet
  12. 17
    To move, either physically or in an abstract sense:; To walk; to travel on one's feet. intransitive, obsolete

    "‘As for that,’ seyde Sir Trystram, ‘I may chose othir to ryde othir to go.’"

  13. 18
    to be spent or finished wordnet
  14. 19
    To work or function (properly); to move or perform (as required). intransitive

    "The engine just won't go anymore."

  15. 20
    be spent wordnet
  16. 21
    To start; to begin (an action or process). intransitive

    "You've got thirty seconds to solve the anagram, starting now. Go!"

  17. 22
    go through in search of something; search through someone's belongings in an unauthorized way wordnet
  18. 23
    To take a turn, especially in a game. intransitive

    "It’s your turn; go."

  19. 24
    perform as expected when applied wordnet
  20. 25
    To attend. intransitive

    "I go to school at the schoolhouse."

  21. 26
    change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically wordnet
  22. 27
    To proceed:; To proceed (often in a specified manner, indicating the perceived quality of an event or state). intransitive

    "That went well."

  23. 28
    move away from a place into another direction wordnet
  24. 29
    To proceed:; To proceed (especially to do something foolish). colloquial, intransitive

    "Why'd you have to go and do that?"

  25. 30
    begin or set in motion wordnet
  26. 31
    To extend along. intransitive

    "The fence goes the length of the boundary."

  27. 32
    make a certain noise or sound wordnet
  28. 33
    To extend (from one point in time or space to another). intransitive

    "This property goes all the way to the state line."

  29. 34
    follow a procedure or take a course wordnet
  30. 35
    To lead (to a place); to give access (to). intransitive

    "Does this road go to Fort Smith?"

  31. 36
    pass, fare, or elapse; of a certain state of affairs or action wordnet
  32. 37
    To become, move to or come to (a state, position, situation); To become (often used with colors and negative states). copulative

    "Near-synonyms: become, get, turn, come, fall, grow, wax"

  33. 38
    be or continue to be in a certain condition wordnet
  34. 39
    To become, move to or come to (a state, position, situation); To move to (a position or state).

    "If we can win on Saturday, we'll go top of the league."

  35. 40
    continue to live and avoid dying wordnet
  36. 41
    To become, move to or come to (a state, position, situation); To come (to a certain condition or state).

    "They went into debt."

  37. 42
    be awarded; be allotted wordnet
  38. 43
    To assume the obligation or function of; to be, to serve as.

    "There is scarcely a business man who is not occasionally asked to go bail for somebody."

  39. 44
    be the right size or shape; fit correctly or as desired wordnet
  40. 45
    To continuously or habitually be in a state. copulative, intransitive

    "I don't want my children to go hungry."

  41. 46
    stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point wordnet
  42. 47
    To turn out, to result; to come to (a certain result).

    "The decision went the way we expected."

  43. 48
    lead, extend, or afford access wordnet
  44. 49
    To tend (toward a result) intransitive

    "Well, that goes to show you."

  45. 50
    blend or harmonize wordnet
  46. 51
    To contribute to a (specified) end product or result.

    "qualities that go to make a lady / lip-reader / sharpshooter"

  47. 52
    be sounded, played, or expressed wordnet
  48. 53
    To pass, to be used up:; To elapse, to pass; to slip away. (Compare go by.) intransitive

    "The time went slowly."

  49. 54
    be contained in wordnet
  50. 55
    To pass, to be used up:; To end or disappear. (Compare go away.) intransitive

    "After three days, my headache finally went."

  51. 56
    have a particular form wordnet
  52. 57
    To pass, to be used up:; To be spent or used up. intransitive

    "His money went on drink."

  53. 58
    be ranked or compare wordnet
  54. 59
    To die. intransitive

    "I want to go in my sleep."

  55. 60
    be in the right place or situation wordnet
  56. 61
    To be lost or out:; To be lost. intransitive

    "The third wicket went just before lunch."

  57. 62
    To be lost or out:; To be out. intransitive

    "Smith bowls ... Jones hits it straight up in the air ... and ... caught! Jones has gone!"

  58. 63
    To break down or apart:; To collapse or give way, to break apart. intransitive

    "Careful! It looks as if that ceiling could go at any moment!"

  59. 64
    To break down or apart:; To break down or decay. intransitive

    "My mind is going."

  60. 65
    To be sold. intransitive

    "The car went for five thousand dollars."

  61. 66
    To be discarded or disposed of. intransitive

    "This chair has got to go."

  62. 67
    To be given, especially to be assigned or allotted. intransitive

    "The property shall go to my wife."

  63. 68
    To survive or get by; to last or persist for a stated length of time. intransitive, transitive

    "How long can you go without water?"

  64. 69
    To have a certain record. transitive

    "They've gone one for three in this series."

  65. 70
    To be authoritative, accepted, or valid:; Of an opinion or instruction, to have (final) authority; to be authoritative. intransitive

    "Whatever the boss says goes, do you understand?"

  66. 71
    To be authoritative, accepted, or valid:; To be accepted. intransitive

    "Anything goes around here."

  67. 72
    To be authoritative, accepted, or valid:; To be valid or applicable. intransitive

    "The baked beans can go on this shelf, and the same goes for all these other tins."

  68. 73
    To say (something), to make a sound:; To say (something, aloud or to oneself). colloquial, transitive

    "I go, "As if!" And she was all like, "Whatever!""

  69. 74
    To say (something), to make a sound:; To make the (specified) sound. transitive

    "Cats go "meow". Motorcycles go "vroom"."

  70. 75
    To say (something), to make a sound:; To sound; to make a noise. intransitive

    "I woke up just before the clock went."

  71. 76
    To be expressed or composed (a certain way).

    "The tune goes like this."

  72. 77
    To resort (to). intransitive

    "The nylon gears kept breaking, so we went to stainless steel."

  73. 78
    To apply or subject oneself to:; To apply oneself; to undertake; to have as one's goal or intention. (Compare be going to.)

    "I'm going to join a sports team."

  74. 79
    To apply or subject oneself to:; To make an effort, to subject oneself (to something). intransitive

    "You didn't have to go to such trouble."

  75. 80
    To apply or subject oneself to:; To work (through or over), especially mentally. intransitive

    "I've gone over this a hundred times."

  76. 81
    To fit (in a place, or together with something):; To fit. intransitive, often

    "Do you think the sofa will go through the door?"

  77. 82
    To fit (in a place, or together with something):; To be compatible, especially of colors or food and drink. intransitive

    "This shade of red doesn't go with the drapes."

  78. 83
    To fit (in a place, or together with something):; To belong (somewhere). intransitive

    "My shirts go on this side of the wardrobe."

  79. 84
    To fit (in a place, or together with something):; Of a ball, to be capable of being potted, not having its path to the pocket obstructed by other balls. intransitive

    "He'd like to pot the pink, but I don't think it will go. The green's in the way."

  80. 85
    To date. intransitive

    "How long have they been going together?"

  81. 86
    To (begin to) date or have sex with (a particular race). transitive

    "You can date black, you can do white, on a slow night maybe even go for an Asian boy, but most likely you'll go Latino unless the aforementioned guys speak a little Spanish […]"

  82. 87
    To attack:; To fight or attack. intransitive

    "I went at him with a knife."

  83. 88
    To attack:; To fight. US, obsolete, slang, transitive

    "You've shown me his weak points, and I'll go him whether you stick by me or not."

  84. 89
    To attack:; To attack. Australian, slang, transitive

    "As big as me. Strong, too. I was itching to go him, And he had clouted Ernie."

  85. 90
    Used to express how some category of things generally is, as a reference for, contrast to, or comparison with, a particular example.

    "My cat Fluffy is very timid, as cats go."

  86. 91
    To take (a particular part or share); to participate in to the extent of. transitive

    "Let's go halves on this."

  87. 92
    To yield or weigh. transitive

    "Those babies go five tons apiece."

  88. 93
    To offer, bid or bet an amount; to pay; to sell for. intransitive, transitive

    "That's as high as I can go."

  89. 94
    To enjoy. (Compare go for.) colloquial, transitive

    "I could go a beer right about now."

  90. 95
    To go to the toilet; to urinate or defecate. colloquial, intransitive

    "I really need to go."

  91. 96
    Expressing encouragement or approval. imperative

    "Go, girl! You can do it!"

  92. 97
    Clipping of go to the. Australia, Multicultural-London-English, Singapore, UK, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial, especially, intransitive

    "Going pub now :)"

  93. 98
    To fight, usually with the fists. colloquial, euphemistic, intransitive

    "You said WHAT about my mom? Do you want to go, bro?"

  94. 99
    To pass (a specified time) in gestation; to be pregnant. intransitive, usually

    "For quotations using this term, see Citations:go."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Working correctly and ready to commence operation; approved and able to be put into action. not-comparable, postpositional

    "John Glenn reports all systems are go."

Adjective
  1. 1
    functioning correctly and ready for action wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Abbreviation of Gorontalo: a province of Indonesia. abbreviation, alt-of
  2. 2
    A compiled, garbage-collected, concurrent programming language developed by Google.

    "Despite the lower priority placed on features, Go isn't a static, unchanging language. New features are adopted slowly, after much discussion and experimentation. Since the initial release of Go 1.0, there have been significant changes to the patterns that define idiomatic Go."

  3. 3
    Abbreviation of Goiás: a state of Brazil. abbreviation, alt-of

Synonyms

All synonyms
turnabideabscondabstain fromaccompanyaccomplished fact

Antonyms

no-goremaininga haltarrive

Example

"It is inevitable that I go to France someday, I just don't know when."

Common questions

What does "go" mean?

Initialism of graphene oxide.

What is a synonym for "go"?

Common synonyms include: turn, abide, abscond, abstain from, accompany, accomplished fact.

How do you use "go" in a sentence?

It is inevitable that I go to France someday, I just don't know when.

How do you pronounce "go"?

Pronounced /ɡu/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English gon, goon, from Old English gān (“to go”), from Proto-West Germanic *gān, from Proto-Germanic *gāną (“to go”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₁- (“to leave”). The inherited past tense form yode (compare Old English ēode) was replaced through suppletion in the 15th century by went, from Old English wendan (“to go, depart, wend”). cognates and related terms Cognate with Scots gae, gan, gang, ging, gyang (“to go”), Yola go, goe, goeth, gow (“to go”), West Frisian gean (“to go”), Alemannic German gaa, go (“to go, walk, step”), Bavarian geh (“to go”), Cimbrian ghéenan, gian (“to go”), Dutch gaan (“to go”), Dutch Low Saxon gan, gaon (“to go”), German gehen (“to go”), German Low German gahn (“to go”), Limburgish gaon, goëne (“to go”), Luxembourgish goen (“to go”), Vilamovian gejn, gyjn (“to go”), Yiddish גיין (geyn, “to go, walk”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish gå (“to go, walk”), Crimean Gothic geen (“to go”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gaggan, “to go”). Compare also Albanian ngah (“to run, drive, go”), Ancient Greek κιχάνω (kikhánō, “to meet with, arrive at”), Avestan 𐬰𐬀𐬰𐬁𐬨𐬌 (zazāmi), Sanskrit जहाति (jáhāti, “to shun, avoid, lay aside”).

Etymology 2

From Japanese 碁(ご) (go), shorter variant of Japanese 囲碁(いご) (igo), from Chinese 圍棋 /围棋 (wéiqí, literally “encirclement board game”).

Etymology 3

From go, likely with reference to the first two letters of Google.

More for "go"

Synonyms

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