go

verb79

1. •
   to move or travel, often to a place or through it

   • Why don’t you go with us?
   • This train goes through Cincinnati on its way to Chicago.
2. •
   To move, either physically or in an abstract sense.
3. •
   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.)

   • 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.
   • Fans want to see the Twelfth Doctor go to the 51st century to visit River in the library.
4. •
   To navigate (to a file or folder on a computer, a site on the internet, a memory, etc.).

   • To access Office-related TechNet resources, go to www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/office. — 2009
5. •
   To move (a particular distance, or in a particular fashion).

   • We've only gone twenty miles today.
   • This car can go circles around that one.
6. •
   To follow or proceed according to (a course or path).

   • Let's go this way for a while.
   • She was going that way anyway, so she offered to show him where it was.
7. •
   To travel or pass along.

   • We went the full length of the promenade before we found a place to sit down.
   • His life story goes the gamut, from poverty-stricken upbringing to colossal wealth.
8. •
   (informal, slang) Clipping of go to the.

   • Ffs I really want to go pub now — 2021
9. •
   To move or travel in order to do something, or to do something while moving.

   • We went swimming.
   • Let's go shopping.
10. •
    To leave; to move away.

    • Please don't go!
    • I really must be going.
11. •
    To proceed.
12. •
    To proceed (often in a specified manner, indicating the perceived quality of an event or state).

    • That went well.
    • "How are things going?" "Not bad, thanks."
13. •
    To turn out, to result; to come to (a certain result).

    • The decision went the way we expected.
14. •
    To become (often used with colors and negative states).

    • You'll go blind.
    • The milk went bad.
15. •
    To come (to a certain condition or state).

    • They went into debt.
    • She goes to sleep around 10 o'clock.
16. •
    To attend.

    • I go to school at the schoolhouse.
    • She went to Yale.
17. •
    To say (something), to make a sound.
18. •
    To make the (specified) sound.

    • Cats go "meow". Motorcycles go "vroom".
19. •
    To sound; to make a noise.

    • I woke up just before the clock went.
20. •
    (informal) To say (something, aloud or to oneself).

    • I go, "As if!" And she was all like, "Whatever!"
    • As soon as I did it, I went "that was stupid."
21. •
    To become, move to or come to (a state, position, situation)
22. •
    To pass, to be used up.
23. •
    To be spent or used up.

    • His money went on drink.
24. •
    To elapse, to pass; to slip away. (Compare go by.)

    • The time went slowly.
25. •
    To work or function (properly); to move or perform (as required).

    • The engine just won't go anymore.
    • Don't put your hand inside while the motor's going!
26. •
    To start; to begin (an action or process).

    • You've got thirty seconds to solve the anagram, starting now. Go!
27. •
    To fit (in a place, or together with something).
28. •
    To fit.

    • Do you think the sofa will go through the door?
    • The belt just barely went around his waist.
29. •
    Of a ball, to be capable of being potted, not having its path to the pocket obstructed by other balls.

    • He'd like to pot the pink, but I don't think it will go. The green's in the way.
30. •
    To be compatible, especially of colors or food and drink.

    • This shade of red doesn't go with the drapes.
    • White wine goes better with fish than red wine.
31. •
    To belong (somewhere).

    • My shirts go on this side of the wardrobe.
    • This piece of the jigsaw goes on the other side.
32. •
    To extend along.

    • The fence goes the length of the boundary.
33. •
    To extend (from one point in time or space to another).

    • This property goes all the way to the state line.
    • The working week goes from Monday to Friday.
34. •
    To lead (to a place); to give access (to).

    • Does this road go to Fort Smith?
35. •
    To be sold.

    • The car went for five thousand dollars.
    • The store is closing down so everything must go.
36. •
    To offer, bid or bet an amount; to pay; to sell for.

    • That's as high as I can go.
    • We could go two fifty.
37. •
    To be given, especially to be assigned or allotted.

    • The property shall go to my wife.
    • The award went to Steven Spielberg.
38. •
    To be expressed or composed (a certain way).

    • The tune goes like this.
    • As the story goes, he got the idea for the song while sitting in traffic.
39. •
    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.
    • As far as burgers go, this is one of the best.
40. •
    To end or disappear. (Compare go away.)

    • After three days, my headache finally went.
41. •
    To be discarded or disposed of.

    • This chair has got to go.
    • All this old rubbish can go.
42. •
    To survive or get by; to last or persist for a stated length of time.

    • How long can you go without water?
    • We've gone without your help for a while now.
43. •
    To continuously or habitually be in a state.

    • I don't want my children to go hungry.
    • We went barefoot in the summer.
44. •
    To be authoritative, accepted, or valid.
45. •
    Of an opinion or instruction, to have (final) authority; to be authoritative.

    • Whatever the boss says goes, do you understand?
46. •
    To be accepted.

    • Anything goes around here.
47. •
    To be valid or applicable.

    • The baked beans can go on this shelf, and the same goes for all these other tins.
48. •
    To apply or subject oneself to:
49. •
    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.
    • I wish you'd go and get a job.
50. •
    To make an effort, to subject oneself (to something).

    • You didn't have to go to such trouble.
    • I never thought he'd go so far as to call you.
51. •
    To work (through or over), especially mentally.

    • I've gone over this a hundred times.
    • Let's not go into that right now.
52. •
    To die.

    • I want to go in my sleep.
53. •
    (informal) To proceed (especially to do something foolish).

    • Why'd you have to go and do that?
    • Why'd you have to go do that?
54. •
    To take a turn, especially in a game.

    • It’s your turn; go.
    • I've got all vowels. I don't think I can go.
55. •
    To tend (toward a result).

    • Well, that goes to show you.
    • These experiences go to make us stronger.
56. •
    To contribute to a (specified) end product or result.

    • What can we know of any substance or existence, but as made up of all the qualities that go to its composition: extension, solidity, form, colour; take these away, and you know nothing. — 1839
57. •
    To break down or apart.
58. •
    To collapse or give way, to break apart.

    • Careful! It looks as if that ceiling could go at any moment!
59. •
    To break down or decay.

    • My mind is going.
    • She's 83; her eyesight is starting to go.
60. •
    To move to (a position or state).

    • If we can win on Saturday, we'll go top of the league.
    • They went level with their rivals.
61. •
    Expressing encouragement or approval.

    • Go, girl! You can do it!
62. •
    (informal, euphemistic) To go to the toilet; to urinate or defecate.

    • I really need to go.
    • Have you managed to go today, Mrs. Miggins?
63. •
    To date.

    • How long have they been going together?
    • He's been going with her for two weeks.
64. •
    (informal) To (begin to) date or have sex with (a particular race).

    • 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 […] — 2005
65. •
    To resort (to).

    • The nylon gears kept breaking, so we went to stainless steel.
66. •
    To take (a particular part or share); to participate in to the extent of.

    • Let's go halves on this.
67. •
    (informal, euphemistic) To fight, usually with the fists.

    • You said WHAT about my mom? Do you want to go, bro?
68. •
    To be lost or out.
69. •
    To be lost.

    • The third wicket went just before lunch.
70. •
    To be out.

    • Smith bowls ... Jones hits it straight up in the air ... and ... caught! Jones has gone!
71. •
    To attack.

    • As big as me. Strong, too. I was itching to go him, And he had clouted Ernie. — 1964
72. •
    To fight or attack.

    • I went at him with a knife.
73. •
    To have a certain record.

    • They've gone one for three in this series.
    • The team is going five in a row.
74. •
    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. — 1912
75. •
    (informal) To enjoy. (Compare go for.)

    • I could go a beer right about now.
76. •
    To yield or weigh.

    • Those babies go five tons apiece.
77. •
    To pass (a specified time) in gestation; to be pregnant.
78. •
    (no longer used) To walk; to travel on one's feet.
79. •
    (slang, no longer used) To fight.

    • You've shown me his weak points, and I'll go him whether you stick by me or not. — 1900

noun16

1. •
   The act of going.

   • They talk easily together and they hear the come and go of the breeze in the soon to be turning burnt leaves of the high trees. — 2009
2. •
   An attempt, a try.

   • I’ll give it a go.
3. •
   A turn at something, or in something (e.g. a game).

   • You’ve been on that pinball machine long enough—now let your brother have a go.
   • It’s your go.
4. •
   A period of activity.

   • ate it all in one go
5. •
   An approval or permission to do something, or that which has been approved.

   • We will begin as soon as the boss says it's a go.
6. •
   Power of going or doing; energy; vitality; perseverance.

   • There is no go in him.
7. •
   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.
8. •
   A time; an experience.
9. •
   An act; the working or operation.

   • Let this suffice, that that same happy night, So gracious were the goes of marriage […] — 1598
10. •
    The situation where a player cannot play a card which will not carry the aggregate count above thirty-one.
11. •
    (slang, old-fashioned) A circumstance or occurrence; an incident, often unexpected.

    • “Well, this is a pretty go, is this here! An uncommon pretty go! — 1839
12. •
    (old-fashioned) The fashion or mode.

    • We are blowing each other out of the market with cheapness; but it is all the go, so we must not be behind the age. — 1852
13. •
    (old-fashioned) A portion

    • Albert's uncle had had a jolly good breakfast—fish and eggs and bacon and three goes of marmalade. — 1904
14. •
    (old-fashioned) Noisy merriment.

    • Gemmen (says he), you all well know The joy there is whene'er we meet; It's what I call the primest go, And rightly named, 'tis—'quite a treat,' […] — 1820
15. •
    (slang, no longer used) A glass of spirits; a quantity of spirits.

    • 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.' — 1820
16. •
    (slang, no longer used) A dandy; a fashionable person.

    • He's a go among the goes, is Mr. Kestrel. He's only got to sport a new kind of topper, or tie his crumpler a new way, and every gentry-cove in town does just the same. — 2012

adjective[after a noun]1

1. •
   Working correctly and ready to commence operation; approved and able to be put into action.

   • John Glenn reports all systems are go. — 1962

noun3

1. •
   Initialism of graphene oxide.
2. •
   Abbreviation of Goiás: a state of Brazil.
3. •
   Abbreviation of Gorontalo: a province of Indonesia.