What does "going" mean?
A departure.
Going
/ˈɡəʊɪŋ/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A departure.
- Grammar: going is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: departure, exit, leaving, abandonment.
- Useful contrasts: arrival, cease, end.
- Usage evidence: I was wondering if you were going to show up today.
How to use "going"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "going" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- 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 "going" 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 "going" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "going" 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 "going" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb 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 "departure" 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 "going", 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 A departure. countable, uncountable
"Māna-Yood-Sushāī was before the beginning of the gods, and shall be after their going. […] After the going of the gods there will be no small worlds nor big."
- 2 the act of departing wordnet
- 3 The suitability of ground for riding, walking etc. countable, uncountable
"The going was very difficult over the ice."
- 4 advancing toward a goal wordnet
- 5 Progress. countable, uncountable
"We made good going for a while, but then we came to the price."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 euphemistic expressions for death wordnet
- 7 Conditions for advancing in any way. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"Not only were the streets not paved with gold, but the going was difficult for an immigrant."
- 8 Course of life; behaviour; doings; ways. countable, in-plural, uncountable
"His eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings."
- 9 The whereabouts (of something). countable, uncountable
"I can't find my sunglasses; you haven't seen the going of them, have you?"
- 10 The horizontal distance between the front of one step in a flight of stairs and the front of the next. countable, uncountable
"Each step had a rise of 170 mm and a going of 250 mm."
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of go form-of, gerund, participle, present
"I'm afraid I must be going."
- 2 Attending or visiting (a stated event, place, etc.) habitually or regularly. in-compounds
"theatre-going, church-going, movie-going"
Adjective
- 1 Likely to continue; viable. not-comparable
"He didn't want to make an unsecured loan to the business because it didn't look like a going concern."
- 2 Current, prevailing. not-comparable
"The going rate for manual snow-shoveling is $25 an hour."
- 3 Available. especially, not-comparable
"He has the easiest job going."
Adjective
- 1 in full operation wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"I was wondering if you were going to show up today."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "going"?
Common synonyms include: departure, exit, leaving, abandonment, accepted, acting.
How do you use "going" in a sentence?
I was wondering if you were going to show up today.
How do you pronounce "going"?
Pronounced /ˈɡəʊɪŋ/.
Etymology
Verb form from Middle English goinge, goynge, gayng, variants of gonde, goonde, gaand, from Old English gānde, from Proto-Germanic *gēndz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *gēną, *gāną (“to go”), equivalent to go + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian geanend (“going”), Dutch gaand (“going”), German gehend (“going”), Danish gående (“going”), Swedish gående (“going”). Noun and adjective from Middle English going, goyng, gaing, gayng, equivalent to go + -ing. Compare German Gehung, Old English gang (“a going”). More at gang.