go on

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

English

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Verb

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

To continue in extent.
The meeting seemed to go on forever.
Synonyms: endure; see also Thesaurus:persist
To continue an action.
- 1967, Sleigh, Barbara, Jessamy, 1993 edition, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, →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.
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.
Synonyms: advance, carry on, forthgo, proceed, resume
To proceed.
He went on to win a gold medal.
- 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter III:
  […] while not a super-goof like some of the female goofs I'd met, she was quite goofy enough to be going on with.
- 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.
Synonyms: carry on, continue; see also Thesaurus:proceed
To talk about a subject frequently or at great length.
Will you stop going on about your stupid holiday.
Sam goes on and on about Pokémon.
- 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, […] ."
Synonyms: blather, prattle, rabbit; see also Thesaurus:chatter
To use and adopt (information) in order to understand an issue, make a decision, etc.
We can't go on what this map says; it's twenty years out of date.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.
To happen (occur).
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.
Synonyms: come to pass, take place; see also Thesaurus:happen

Translations

travel by

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

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)
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

happen

Danish: ske (da)
Finnish: tapahtua (fi), olla meneillään
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)

Interjection

go on

Expressing that the speaker can continue speaking without interruption from the listener.
Expressing surprise, disbelief or incredulity.
A: He asked Fiona to marry him.
B: Go on!
A: It's true, I swear.
Synonyms: fiddlesticks, go on with you, horsefeathers, pull the other one; see also Thesaurus:bullshit
(Australia, New Zealand) Expressing encouragement, see come on.
Go on! You can do it!
Synonyms: attaboy; you go, girl; see also Thesaurus:come on

Anagrams

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