go on

See also: goon, góon, gōon, go-on, and ĝo-on

English

Etymology 1

Structurally equivalent to go onward.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

go on (third-person singular simple present goes on, present participle going on, simple past went on, past participle gone on)

1. (intransitive) To continue in extent.

   Synonyms: endure; see also Thesaurus:persist

   The meeting seemed to go on forever.

   This road goes on for another twenty miles.

2. (intransitive) To continue an action.

   Synonyms: keep on, carry on, advance, forthgo, proceed, resume

   I think I've said enough now; I'm not sure I should go on.

   He went on walking even when the policeman told him to stop.

   • 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 84:

     She crept up the stairs [...] On she went, across the landing, from which sprang the tall window, and up the next flight until she reached the top.

3. (intransitive) To proceed (to do something).

   Synonyms: carry on, continue; see also Thesaurus:proceed

   He started the competition badly but went on to win the gold medal.

   "Do you want to hear a joke?" — "Oh, all right, go on then."

   • 2012, The Onion Book of Known Knowledge, page 63:

     The kid who starts a business selling candy out of his locker always goes on to be a major sleazeball later in life.

4. (intransitive) To talk frequently or at great length (about a subject).

   Synonyms: blather, prattle, rabbit; see also Thesaurus:chatter

   Will you stop going on about your stupid holiday.

   Sam goes on and on about Pokémon.

   Don't ask Sam about Pokémon, because he'll go on and on.

   • 2002, Jane Green, Bookends, trade paperback, published 2003, →ISBN, page 67:

     "I don't believe you." I shake my head. "How on earth did you remember that? I must have told you years ago." […]
     "First of all, you go on about it far more than you think you do, […] ."

5. (intransitive) To happen (occur).

   Synonyms: come to pass, take place; see also Thesaurus:happen

   What's going on?

   I really don't want to know what goes on between you and your boyfriend behind closed doors.

   • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 1948, page 43:

     At the time, with the D-Day invasion of Europe going on, their heroism was hardly noticed. Plenty of other heroes were dying elsewhere. Plenty of bigger bits of history were being made.

6. (intransitive) To move or proceed so as to become "on" in any of various senses.

   Bertha's about to finish her song. Who's going on next?

   Smith went on for Jones at left back after Jones got injured.

   It was pitch black and then suddenly all the lights went on.

Related terms

• going on
• goings-on
• go on then
• on about
• on and on
• to be going on with
• what's going on

 

Translations

travel by

• Finnish: matkustaa (fi), mennä (fi)
• French: prendre (fr)
• Spanish: coger (es), tomar (es)

talk about a subject frequently or at great length

• Finnish: jauhaa (fi), jankuttaa (fi), jankata (fi), vatvoa (fi)

continue

• Catalan: continuar (ca)
• Czech: pokračovat (cs), vytrvat
• Danish: fortsætte (da)
• Dutch: doorgaan (nl), verder gaan
• Finnish: jatkua (fi) (to continue), jatkaa (fi) (to expand upon), kestää (fi), venyä (fi) (informal) (e.g. "kokous venyi myöhään yöhön")
• French: continuer (fr)
• Galician: continuar (gl)
• German: weitermachen (de) (continue in action), weitergehen (de) (continue in extent), fortsetzen (de)
• Hebrew: הִמְשִׁיךְ (himshích) (transitive), נִמְשַׁךְ (nimshách) (intransitive)
• Icelandic: haltu áfram
• Italian: continuare (it)
• Latin: pergō (la)
• Lithuanian: tęsti (lt)
• Portuguese: continuar (pt)
• Russian: продолжа́ть (ru) impf (prodolžátʹ), продо́лжить (ru) pf (prodólžitʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: lean air
• Spanish: continuar (es)
• Turkish: devam etmek (tr), sürmek (tr)
• Ukrainian: продо́вжувати impf (prodóvžuvaty), продо́вжити pf (prodóvžyty)
• Vietnamese: tiếp tục (vi)

make a decision based on

• Finnish: käyttää (fi), hyödyntää (fi)

happen

• Danish: ske (da)
• Dutch: aan de hand zijn
• Finnish: tapahtua (fi), olla meneillään, käydä (fi) (e.g. "mitä kävi?")
• French: se passer (fr)
• German: passieren (de), los sein (de) (colloquial), abgehen (de) (slang)
• Irish: bí ar bun, bí ar siúl, tarlaigh
• Latin: agat (la)
• Portuguese: acontecer (pt)
• Russian: происходи́ть (ru) impf (proisxodítʹ)
• Spanish: pasar (es)
• Turkish: olmak (tr), gerçekleşmek (tr), dönmek (tr)
• Ukrainian: відбува́тися impf (vidbuvátysja), робитися impf (robytysja)

approach an age

• Spanish: tener cerca de, pisar (es)

Interjection

go on

1. Expressing that the speaker can continue speaking without interruption from the listener.

   Go on! You were saying about those other ones too?

2. Expressing surprise, disbelief or incredulity.

   Synonyms: fiddlesticks, go on with you, horsefeathers, pull the other one; see also Thesaurus:bullshit

   A: He asked Fiona to marry him.

   B: Go on!

   A: It's true, I swear.

3. (especially Australia, New Zealand) Expressing encouragement, see come on.

   Synonyms: attaboy; you go, girl; see also Thesaurus:come on

   Go on! You can do it!

4. (especially British) Yes; okay; it's a deal.

   —So three hundred on the chair then, and can we do two-fifty on the clock?
   —Go on, then.

Etymology 2

Structurally equivalent to go upon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/

Verb

go on (third-person singular simple present goes on, present participle going on, simple past went on, past participle gone on)

1. (transitive) To use and adopt (information) in order to understand an issue, make a decision, etc.; to go by.

   We can't go on what this map says; it's twenty years out of date.

   I didn't make a decision because I didn't have anything to go on.

Anagrams

• gono-, no go, no-go, nogo, noog, ongo