for good en · ADP
Pronunciation
- (Mid-Atlantic, US) audio
- /fəɹ ˈɡʊd/ (Canada, General-American)
- /ˌfɔːɹ-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /fə ˈɡʊd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˌfoɹ-/ (Scotland)
- /ˌfoːɾ-/ (India)
- audio AuE
- /ˌfoːɹ-/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- fôr′-
- /fəɹ ˈɡʉd/ (Scotland)
- /fə ˈɡʊd/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- /fəʳ ˈɡʊɖ/ (India)
- /ˌfoɹ-/ (Canada, General-American)
- /fɐ ˈɡʊd/ (New-Zealand)
- /fa ˈɡʊd/ (New-Zealand)
- fər go͝od′
Etymology
From for (“over (a period of time)”, preposition) + good (“of an action: complete, thorough, utter”, adjective).
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) In a way that is conclusive and final.
What I want is to get out of this fix, for good—so I can go to sleep at night without worrying over what's going to happen to me tomorrow, and next month, and next year.
1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, chapter XXXII, in Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, published June 1944, →OCLC, part IV, page 540:A bad haircut is no fun, but at least you’re not stuck with it for good, only until it grows out.
[S]he was dozing in the elbovv-chair, having refuſed to lie dovvn, ſaying, She ſhould ſoon, ſhe hoped, lie dovvn for good.
1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LIII. Mr. Belford, to Robert Lovelace, Esq.”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume VII, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 200:He […] unbuttons the bottom of his jacket so the rumors can be dispelled for good: he no longer wears his double belts.
2019, Maaza Mengiste, The Shadow King, New York, N.Y.: W[illiam] W[arder] Norton & Company, →ISBN, book 3:Well, now, I'm no scholar, and you're a lad as can read and figure; and, to put it straight, do you take it as a dead man is dead for good, or do he come alive again?
1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Israel Hands”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part V (My Sea Adventure), page 207:Yes, and thanks for the trouble you took from her eyes. I thought it was there for good so I never tried.
1971 March 19, Leonard Cohen (lyrics and music), “Famous Blue Raincoat”, in Songs of Love and Hate, New York, N.Y.: Columbia Records, →OCLC; lyrics republished in Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs, Toronto, Ont.: McClelland & Stewart, 1993, →ISBN, page 153:This day I left Chelsea for good (that's a genteel phrase) and am got into Suffolk street.
1711 July 15 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Jonathan Swift, “[Dr. Swift’s Journal to Stella.] Letter XXVI.”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XV, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 85:Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn't mean it / I just want you back for good
1995, Gary Barlow, “Back for Good”, in Nobody Else, performed by Take That:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| for good and all | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
for better or worse · till death do us part
Synonyms
permanently · once and for all · definitively · forever · for good and all
Translations (58)
nl voorgoed (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · pt de vez (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · ru навсегда́ (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · pt em definitivo (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · hu egyszer s mindenkorra (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · sv för evigt (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · hu véglegesen (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · cy am byth (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · sv för gott (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · it per sempre (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · de für immer (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · da for altid (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · sh јѐдно̄м за сва̏гда (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · de endgültig (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · gl de vez (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · cmn 永久 (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · nn for ollo (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · ca d'una vegada per totes (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · it definitivamente (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · ja 永久に (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · hu örökre (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · fi lopullisesti (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · sv för alltid (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · es para siempre (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · es con toda la barba (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · el για τα καλά (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · pt para sempre (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · da for evigt (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · sh за̀увије̄к (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · es definitivamente (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · fr pour de bon (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · cs nadobro (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · fr définitivement (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · sh jèdnōm za svȁgda (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · sh zàuvijēk (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · ka სამუდამოდ (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · ru наве́ки (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · es de una vez por todas (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · cmn 永遠 /永远 (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · ja 永遠に (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · uk назавжди́ (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · cs navždy (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · gl para sempre (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · az həmişəlik (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · nn for godt (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · cmn 一直 (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · pt eternamente (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · et igaveseks (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · hu végleg (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · bg завинаги (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · fr une bonne fois pour toutes (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · fi pysyvästi (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · pl na dobre (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · nb for godt (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · vi vĩnh viễn (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · et alatiseks (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · vi mãi mãi (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all) · de auf ewig (in a way that is conclusive and final — see also once and for all)