Phrase guide

go on

intj · verb · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/

1

intj

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

intj

Meaning 2

Expressing surprise, disbelief or incredulity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • A: He asked Fiona to marry him. B: Go on! A: It's true, I swear.

Meaning relationships

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

Antonyms: none provided

3

intj

Meaning 3

Expressing encouragement, see come on.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, New-Zealand, especially

Examples

  • Go on! You can do it!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: attaboy, you go, girl, all right, c'mon, carn, come along, come on, go on, heigh, hon, howay, nice one, zindabad

Antonyms: none provided

4

intj

Meaning 4

Yes; okay; it's a deal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, especially

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To continue in extent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The meeting seemed to go on forever.
  • This road goes on for another twenty miles.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: endure, abide, aby, astand, go on, lie, prevail, hold on, last, live, persist, remain, stick, stick it out, stick out

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To continue an action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • 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.

Meaning relationships

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

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To proceed (to do something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • 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."

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: carry on, continue, go on, keep on, proceed, roll on, hunker down

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: blather, prattle, drone on, 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blather, prattle, drone on, rabbit

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To happen (occur).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Qualifier: progressive aspect

Examples

  • What's going on downstairs? What's all that noise down there?
  • I really don't want to know what goes on between you and your boyfriend behind closed doors.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: come to pass, take place, bechance, befall, behap, belimp, betide, betime, beworth, chance, come about, crop up, evene, eventuate, go on, hap, happen, hold, occur, pass, tide, transpire

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

come to pass

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • What is happening?
  • The meeting took place off without an incidence
  • Nothing occurred that seemed important

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: happen, hap, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: break, recrudesce, develop, arise, come up, result, intervene, transpire, give, operate, supervene, proceed, go, come, fall, anticipate, recur, repeat, go off, come off, go over, come around, roll around, happen, materialize, materialise, befall, bechance, betide, concur, coincide, backfire, backlash, recoil, chance, shine, strike, turn out, synchronize, synchronise, contemporize, contemporise

13

verb

Meaning 13

continue talking he continued,

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I know it's hard,
  • but there is no choice
  • carry on--pretend we are not in the room

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: continue, carry on, proceed

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: talk, speak

Narrower terms: segue, ramble on, ramble, jog

14

verb

Meaning 14

start running, functioning, or operating

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the lights went on
  • the computer came up

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: come up, come on

Antonyms: go off

Broader terms: start, go, get going

15

verb

Meaning 15

move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Time marches on

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: advance, progress, pass on, move on, march on

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: travel, go, move, locomote

Narrower terms: forge, penetrate, creep up, sneak up, encroach, infringe, impinge, press on, push on, plough on, string, string along, pass, overtake, overhaul, close in, draw in, edge, inch, ratchet, rachet up, ratchet down, elapse, lapse, slip by, glide by, slip away, go by, slide by, go along

16

verb

Meaning 16

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Keep on working!
  • We continued to work into the night
  • Keep smiling
  • We went on working until well past midnight

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: continue, proceed, go along, keep

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: act, move

Narrower terms: hold, run on, keep going, ride

History

Etymology

Structurally equivalent to go onward.

Structurally equivalent to go upon.

Across languages

Translations

69 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: pågå — continue in extent
  • Dutch: verder gaan — continue in extent
  • Finnish: jatkua — continue in extent
  • German: weitergehen — continue in extent
  • Irish: lean ar aghaidh — continue in extent
  • Swedish: pågå — continue in extent
  • Catalan: continuar — continue an action
  • Czech: pokračovat — continue an action
  • Czech: vytrvat — continue an action
  • Danish: fortsætte — continue an action
  • Danish: pågå — continue an action
  • Dutch: doorgaan — continue an action
  • Dutch: verder gaan — continue an action
  • Esperanto: estadi — continue an action
  • Finnish: jatkaa — continue an action
  • Finnish: kestää — continue an action
  • Finnish: venyä (e.g. "kokous venyi myöhään yöhön") — continue an action
  • French: continuer — continue an action
  • Galician: continuar — continue an action
  • German: weitermachen — continue an action
  • Hebrew: הִמְשִׁיךְ (himshích) — continue an action
  • Hebrew: נִמְשַׁךְ (nimshách) — continue an action
  • Icelandic: halda áfram — continue an action
  • Italian: continuare — continue an action
  • Latin: pergō — continue an action
  • Lithuanian: tęsti — continue an action
  • Portuguese: continuar — continue an action
  • Russian: продолжа́ть (prodolžátʹ) — continue an action
  • Russian: продо́лжить (prodólžitʹ) — continue an action
  • Scottish Gaelic: lean air — continue an action
  • Spanish: continuar — continue an action
  • Swedish: pågå — continue an action
  • Turkish: devam etmek — continue an action
  • Turkish: sürmek — continue an action
  • Ukrainian: продо́вжувати (prodóvžuvaty) — continue an action
  • Ukrainian: продо́вжити (prodóvžyty) — continue an action
  • Vietnamese: tiếp tục — continue an action
  • Dutch: maar door blijven gaan — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Finnish: jauhaa — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Finnish: jankuttaa — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Finnish: jankata — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Finnish: vatvoa — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • German: ununterbrochen reden — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Icelandic: láta móðan mása — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Spanish: parlar — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Spanish: parlotear — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Spanish: insistir con — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Spanish: seguir hablando — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Spanish: palabrear — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Swedish: hålla låda — talk about a subject frequently or at great length — see also fly off at a tangent
  • Danish: ske — happen
  • Dutch: aan de hand zijn — happen
  • Finnish: tapahtua — happen
  • Finnish: olla meneillään — happen
  • Finnish: käydä (e.g. "mitä kävi?") — happen
  • French: se passer — happen
  • German: passieren — happen
  • German: los sein — happen
  • Irish: bí ar bun — happen
  • Irish: tarlaigh — happen
  • Latin: agat — happen
  • Portuguese: acontecer — happen
  • Russian: происходи́ть (proisxodítʹ) — happen
  • Spanish: pasar — happen
  • Turkish: olmak — happen
  • Turkish: gerçekleşmek — happen
  • Turkish: dönmek — happen
  • Ukrainian: відбува́тися (vidbuvátysja) — happen
  • Ukrainian: робитися (robytysja) — happen