Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

go on en · INTJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

Etymology

Structurally equivalent to go onward.

Meanings

  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.
    • A: He asked Fiona to marry him. B: Go on! A: It's true, I swear.
  3. (Australia, New-Zealand, especially) Expressing encouragement, see come on.
    • Go on! You can do it!
  4. (UK, especially) 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.

Synonyms

horseshit · pshh · bullfuck · pshaw · fiddlesticks · fuck off · give over · heigh · hon · attaboy · malarkey · bullshit · it's got brass bells on · fiddlestick · flummery · tell it to Sweeney · horse hockey · it's got bells on · c'mon · tell it to the judge · howay · you go, girl · come on · fiddle · you're pulling my leg · horsefeathers · you're having me on · Hookey Walker · rubbish · nonsense · right · pssht · horsefeathers · fiddle-faddle · go on · bugger off · get out of it · go on · no · tell it to the marines · pshht · get to fuck · c'mon · gimme a break · fiddlesticks · come on · go on with you · nice one · harumph · get outta here · come along · get out of here · carn · come off it · pull the other leg · pssh · fiddlefart · gertcha · zindabad · no way · bullcrud · get out of town · bosh · codswallop · bullcrap · bender · applesauce · pull the other one · pull the other one · get away · fiddledeedee · bollocks · all right · stroll on · Walker · tell me another one · chinny reckon · yeah

go on en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

Etymology

Structurally equivalent to go onward.

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) To continue in extent.
    • This road goes on for another twenty miles.
    • The meeting seemed to go on forever.
  2. (intransitive) To continue an action.
    • One might imagine that the directors foresaw the somewhat uninspiring appearance of the future Manchester stations, and decided to start as it was intended to go on. 1957 September 14, M. D. Greville and G. O. Holt, “Railway Development in Manchester—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 615:
    • 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. 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 84:
    • He went on walking even when the policeman told him to stop.
    • I think I've said enough now; I'm not sure I should go on.
  3. (intransitive) To proceed (to do something).
    • 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."
    • The kid who starts a business selling candy out of his locker always goes on to be a major sleazeball later in life. 2012, The Onion Book of Known Knowledge, page 63:
  4. (intransitive) To talk frequently or at great length (about a subject).
    • Sam goes on and on about Pokémon.
    • Will you stop going on about your stupid holiday?
    • Don't ask Sam about Pokémon, because he'll go on and on.
    • Near-synonyms: blather, prattle, drone on, rabbit; see also Thesaurus:chatter
    • "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,[…]." 2002, Jane Green, Bookends, trade paperback, published 2003, →ISBN, page 67:
  5. (intransitive, qualifier:progressive aspect) To happen (occur).
    • Mister Crowley, what went on in your head? Oh, Mister Crowley, did you talk to the dead? Your lifestyle to me seems so tragic with the thrill of it all You fooled all the people with magic Yeah, you waited on Satan's call 1981, Ozzy Osbourne, “Mr. Crowley”, in Blizzard of Ozz, performed by Ozzy Osbourne:
    • I really don't want to know what goes on between you and your boyfriend behind closed doors.
    • 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. 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 1948, page 43:
    • What's going on downstairs? What's all that noise down there?
  6. (intransitive) To move or proceed so as to become "on" in any of various senses.
    • Smith went on for Jones at left back after Jones got injured.
    • Bertha's about to finish her song. Who's going on next?
    • It was pitch black and then suddenly all the lights went on.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
went on Tense=Past lexicographic
gone on Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
goes on Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
going on Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Relateds

go on then · going on · to be going on with · have a thing going on · what's going on · on about · on and on · goings-on

Synonyms

forthgo · befall · behap · astand · keep on · betime · blather · remain · carry on · come to pass · carry on · stick · crop up · proceed · evene · continue · betide · go on · come about · tide · belimp · roll on · proceed · hunker down · transpire · persist · chance · prattle · hap · rabbit · endure · stick out · bechance · take place · go on · abide · take place · eventuate · beworth · come to pass · carry on · live · prevail · aby · drone on · advance · resume · pass · stick it out · continue · hold on · hold · lie · happen · occur · go on · keep on · last · endure

Translations (69)

pt acontecer (happen) · da fortsætte (continue an action) · nl maar door blijven gaan (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · fi kestää (continue an action) · la pergō (continue an action) · uk продо́вжити (continue an action) · is halda áfram (continue an action) · ga lean ar aghaidh (continue in extent) · fi vatvoa (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · fi jankuttaa (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · he הִמְשִׁיךְ (continue an action) · sv pågå (continue an action) · de ununterbrochen reden (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · es parlar (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · tr gerçekleşmek (happen) · sv pågå (continue in extent) · it continuare (continue an action) · es parlotear (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · is láta móðan mása (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · ca continuar (continue an action) · fi olla meneillään (happen) · da ske (happen) · he נִמְשַׁךְ (continue an action) · tr dönmek (happen) · vi tiếp tục (continue an action) · fi käydä (e.g. "mitä kävi?") (happen) · ru продо́лжить (continue an action) · de weitergehen (continue in extent) · uk продо́вжувати (continue an action) · la agat (happen) · tr olmak (happen) · fi jatkaa (continue an action) · nl doorgaan (continue an action) · tr devam etmek (continue an action) · da pågå (continue in extent) · es pasar (happen) · lt tęsti (continue an action) · fr se passer (happen) · fr continuer (continue an action) · fi jankata (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · ru продолжа́ть (continue an action) · fi jatkua (continue in extent) · de passieren (happen) · ga bí ar bun (happen) · eo estadi (continue an action) · cs vytrvat (continue an action) · es continuar (continue an action) · gd lean air (continue an action) · gl continuar (continue an action) · fi tapahtua (happen) · nl aan de hand zijn (happen) · uk відбува́тися (happen) · de los sein (happen) · nl verder gaan (continue in extent) · ga tarlaigh (happen) · da pågå (continue an action) · sv hålla låda (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · pt continuar (continue an action) · cs pokračovat (continue an action) · es palabrear (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · de weitermachen (continue an action) · fi jauhaa (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · uk робитися (happen) · fi venyä (continue an action) · nl verder gaan (continue an action) · es seguir hablando (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · tr sürmek (continue an action) · es insistir con (talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent) · ru происходи́ть (happen)

go on en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/

Etymology

Structurally equivalent to go upon.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To use and adopt (information) in order to understand an issue, make a decision, etc.; to go by.
    • I didn't make a decision because I didn't have anything to go on.
    • We can't go on what this map says; it's twenty years out of date.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
went on Tense=Past lexicographic
going on Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
goes on Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
gone on Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic