went, gone, going, goes
1. To move or travel; proceed: We will go by bus. Solicitors went from door to door seeking donations. How fast can the boat go?
2. To move away from a place; depart: Go before I cry.
3. a. To pursue a certain course: messages that go through diplomatic channels to the ambassador. b. To resort to another, as for aid: went directly to the voters of her district.
4. a. To extend between two points or in a certain direction; run: curtains that go from the ceiling to the floor. b. To give entry; lead: a stairway that goes to the basement.
5. To function properly: The car won't go.
6. a. To have currency. b. To pass from one person to another; circulate: Wild rumors were going around the office.
7. To pass as the result of a sale: The gold watch went to the highest bidder.
8. Informal Used as an intensifier when joined by and to a coordinate verb: She went and complained to Personnel.
9. Used in the progressive tense with an infinitive to indicate future intent or expectation: I am going to learn how to dance.
10. a. To be in a certain condition. b. To come to be in a certain condition: go mad; hair that had gone gray. c. To continue to be in a certain condition or continue an activity: go barefoot all summer. d. To carry out an action to a certain point or extent: Your parents went to great expense to put you through college.
11. a. To be customarily located; belong: The fork goes to the left of the plate. Where do the plates go? b. To be capable of entering or fitting: Will the suitcase go into the trunk of your car?
12. a. To pass into someone's possession: All the jewelry went to her heirs. b. To be allotted: How much of your salary goes for rent?
13. To be a contributing factor: It all goes to show us that the project can be completed on time.
14. a. To have a particular form: as the saying goes. b. To be such, by and large: well behaved, as big dogs go.
15. a. To pass by; elapse: The day went pleasantly enough until I received your call. b. To be used up. c. To be discarded or abolished: All luxuries will have to go.
16. a. To become weak; fail: His hearing has started to go. b. To come apart; break up.
17. To cease living; die.
18. a. To get along; fare: How are things going? b. To have a successful outcome: creativity that made the advertising campaign really go.
19. To be suitable or appropriate as an accessory or accompaniment: a color that goes beautifully with your complexion.
20. a. To have authority: Whatever I say goes. b. To be valid, acceptable, or adequate. 21. Informal To excrete waste from the bladder or bowels.
22. To begin an act: Here goes!
23. (Obsolete) To walk.
2. To traverse: Only two of the runners went the entire distance.
3. a. To bet: go $20 on the black horse. b. To bid: I'll go $500 on the vase.
4. a. To take on the responsibility or obligation for: go bail for a client. b. To participate to (a given extent): Will you go halves with me if we win the lottery?
5. To amount to; weigh: a shark that went 400 pounds.
6. To enjoy: I could go a cold beer right now.
7. To say: First I go, "Thank you," then he goes, "What for?"
2. An attempt; an effort: had a go at acting.
3. The time or period of an activity.
4. Energy; vitality: had lots of go.
5. Informal a. The go-ahead. b. Often Go The starting point: "And from Go there was something deliciously illicit about the whole affair" Erica Abeel c. Informal A situation in which planned operations can be effectuated: The space mission is a go.
Functioning correctly and ready for action: All systems are go.
go about - To set about to do; undertake: Go about your chores in a responsible way.
go along - To cooperate: They get along by going along.
go around - 1. To satisfy a demand or requirement: just enough food to go around. 2. To go here and there; move from place to place. 3. To have currency: rumors going around.
go at - 1. To attack, especially with energy. 2. To approach; undertake: He went at the job with a lot of energy.
go by - 1. To elapse; pass: as time goes by. 2. To pay a short visit: My parents were away when we went by last week.
go down - 1. a. To drop below the horizon; set: The sun went down. b. To fall to the ground: The helicopter went down in a ball of fire. c. To sink: The torpedoed battleship went down. d. To experience defeat or ruin. 2. To admit of easy swallowing: a cough syrup that goes down readily. 3. Chiefly British To leave a university. 4. Slang To occur; happen: "a collection of memorable pieces about the general craziness that was going down in those days" James Atlas 5. a. To be accepted or tolerated: How will your ideas go down as far as corporate marketing is concerned? b. To come to be remembered in posterity: a debate that will go down as a turning point in the campaign.
go for - 1. Informal To have a special liking for: I really go for progressive jazz. 2. To attack: an opponent who is known to go for the jugular in arguments. 3. To pass for or serve as: a couch that also goes for a bed.
go in - 1. To take part in a cooperative venture: went in with the others to buy a present. 2. To make an approach, as before an attack: Troops went in at dawn.
go off - 1. To undergo detonation; explode. 2. To make a noise; sound: The siren went off at noon. 3. To leave: Don't go off mad. 4. Informal To adhere to the expected course of events or the expected plan: The project went off smoothly.
go on - 1. To take place; happen: didn't know what was going on. 2. a. To continue: Life must go on. b. To keep on doing (something): Don't go on talking. c. To proceed: She went on to become a senator. 3. Informal To talk volubly: My, you do go on.
go out - 1. To become extinguished. 2. a. To go outdoors; leave one's residence: He went out at seven. b. To take part in social life outside the home: goes out a lot. 3. To become unfashionable: High boots went out last year. 4. To undergo structural collapse: The bridge went out.
go over - 1. To gain acceptance or approval: a new style that didn't go over. 2. To examine: go over the test scores. go through 1. To examine carefully: went through the students' papers. 2. To experience: We went through hell while working on this project. 3. To perform: I went through the sonata in 30 minutes.
go under - 1. To suffer defeat or destruction; fail. 2. To lose consciousness.
go up - Chiefly British To go to a university.
go with - To date regularly.
go all the way - To engage in sex.
go "back on - To fail to honor or keep: go back on a promise.
go begging - To be in little or no demand: "Prestige or no prestige, directors' jobs at some companies have actually gone begging" Bill Powell
go belly up - To undergo total financial failure: "A record number of . . . banks went belly up" New Republic
go bust - To undergo financial collapse: "Railroads were in the news mainly when they were going bust" Christian Science Monitor
go by the board - To be discarded or ignored: old dress codes that have now gone by the board.
go down on - To perform oral sex on.
go down the line - To provide strong support.
go fly a kite - To cease being an annoyance. Often used in the imperative.
go for broke - To commit or expend all of one's available resources toward achievement of a goal: "Why not go for broke and take on somebody who is quite young and see what he does?" Roger L. Stevens
go for it - To expend all one's strength and resources toward achievement of an end or purpose.
go in for - 1. To have interest in: goes in for classical music. 2. To take part in: goes in for water skiing.
go it alone - To undertake a project, trip, or responsibility without the presence or help of others.
go off the deep end - To behave hysterically or very recklessly.
go one better - To surpass or outdo by one degree: He's gone me one better.
go out for - To seek to become a participant in: go out for varsity soccer.
go out of (one's) way - To inconvenience oneself in doing something beyond what is required.
go out the window - To become insignificant or inoperative: "As soon as a third body is introduced to the Newtonian system, all lawful ordering of processes goes out the window" Fusion
go places - To be on the way to success: a young executive who is clearly going places.
go steady - To date someone exclusively.
go the distance - To carry a course of action through to completion.
go the vole - To risk all of one's resources in the prospect of achieving great gains.
go to pieces - 1. To lose one's self-control. 2. To suffer the loss of one's health.
go to the mat - To fight or dispute until one side or another is victorious: The governor will go to the mat with the legislature over the controversial spending bill.
go to town - 1. To work or perform efficiently and rapidly. 2. To be highly successful.
go up in flames or go up in smoke - To be utterly destroyed.
go without saying - To be self-evident: It goes without saying that success is the product of hard work.
on the go - Constantly busy or active.
to go - To be taken out, as restaurant food or drink: coffee and doughnuts to go.
1. [n.] The quality of active mental and physical energy
-verve
-vigor
-dash
-drive
-get-up-and-go
-punch
-starch
-spunkiness
-vigorousness
-vitality
-hustle
-liveliness
-spirit
-vivacity
-zip
-enthusiasm
-lethargy (antonym)
-languor (antonym)
-spiritlessness (antonym)
2. [n.] A limited period of time designated for an activity
-stint
-bout
-hitch (slang)
-innings
-patch
-spell
-stretch
-tour
-turn
-period
-term
-shift
-duty
3. [n.] A brief attempt
-try
-bid
-assay
-crack
-effort
-essay
-pass
-shot
-stab
-trial
-turn
-venture
-whirl
4. [n.] An often prolonged period, as of illness
-bout
-siege
-spell
-session
-turn
-course
-interval
-term
-series
-cycle
5. [v.] To move freely in a wide social range
-circulate
-get around
-travel
6. [v.] To attain or be attaining a desired end
-succeed
-arrive
-flourish
-make out (informal)
-prosper
-score
-thrive
-get ahead
-make it
-make the grade
-do well
-get places
-go places
-fail (antonym)
-fall short (antonym)
-miss (antonym)
7. [v.] To range within specified limits
-extend
-run
-vary
-fluctuate
-span
-spread
-stretch
8. [v.] To go or move forward or onward
-proceed
-advance
-continue
-forge ahead
-make headway
-press on
-progress
-push on
-travel
-move ahead
-go ahead
-move on
-go on
-carry on
-make one's way
-keep moving
-regress (antonym)
-retreat (antonym)
9. [v.] To exist or go together harmoniously
-agree
-conform
-fit
-fit in
-correspond
-square
-jibe
-tally
-harmonize
-accord
-cohere
-comport
-consort
-dovetail
-match
-rhyme
-be in tune
-go hand in hand
-go hand in glove
-contradict (antonym)
-disagree (antonym)
-differ (antonym)
10. [v.] To visit regularly
-frequent
-patronize
-habituate
-hang out at
-pop in
-call on
-haunt
-attend regularly
11. [v.] To make one's departure
-leave
-retire
-quit
-exit
-withdraw
-decamp
-walk out
-move on
-move out
-pull out
-get away
-get off
-fly
-flee
-bid farewell
-make oneself scarce
-sally forth
-check out (informal)
-cut out
-hit the road (informal)
-shove off
-skedaddle
-split
-blow
-take a powder
-pull a disappearing act
-arrive (antonym)
-come (antonym)
-appear (antonym)
-emerge (antonym)
12. [v.] To have a proper or suitable place
-belong
-fit
-set
13. [v.] To slip by in time
-elapse
-lapse
-fly
-pass
-tick away
14. [v.] To fail to hold up under weight or pressure
-collapse
-bend
-break
-cave in
-crumple
-fold
-give
-give way
-withstand (antonym)
15. [v.] To move along a particular course
-proceed
-advance
-drive
-journey
-motor
-move
-pass
-ride
-tool along
-travel
-traverse
-trek
-voyage
-wend
-tour
16. [v.] To cease functioning properly
-malfunction
-break
-conk out (informal)
-fail
-give out
-quit
-stall
-stop
-wear out
-function (antonym)
17. [v.] To cease to exist
-die
-pass
-pass away
-depart
-expire
-perish
-pass on
-succumb
-drop dead
-decease
-demise
-become defunct
-become extinct
-go extinct
-pass out
-check out
-give up the ghost
-turn up one's toes
-cash in
-cash in one's chips (informal)
-buy the farm
-pop off
-check out
-push up daisies (informal)
-kick the bucket (slang)
-conk
-croak (slang)
-bite the dust (slang)
-be born (antonym)
-live (antonym)
-survive (antonym)
-exist (antonym)
-flourish (antonym)
-thrive (antonym)
18. [v.] To discharge substances from the body
-excrete
-defecate
-eliminate
-evacuate
-pass
-urinate
-pee (slang)
-void
-vomit
-make water
-micturate (technical)
-relieve oneself
-move one's bowels
19. [v.] To remove oneself from activity
-withdraw
-distance
-draw
-move
-pull away
-retire
-retreat
-participate (antonym)
-join (antonym)
20. [v.] To prove insufficient in quantity or duration
-fail
-burn out
-flag
-give out
-peter out
-run down
-run out
-tire
-wear out
-strengthen (antonym)
-flourish (antonym)
21. [v.] To have as a particular direction or course
-extend
-make
-reach
-run
-stretch
(a web page by Laurie Spiegel)