gone
Americanverb
adjective
idioms
-
far gone,
-
much advanced; deeply involved.
-
nearly exhausted; almost worn out.
-
dying.
The rescue party finally reached the scene of the crash, but most of the survivors were already far gone.
-
-
gone on, infatuated with; in love with.
He is still gone on the woman who jilted him.
verb
adjective
-
ended; past
-
lost; ruined (esp in the phrases gone goose or gosling )
-
dead or near to death
-
spent; consumed; used up
-
informal faint or weak
-
informal having been pregnant (for a specified time)
six months gone
-
slang (usually foll by on) in love (with)
-
slang in an exhilarated state, as through music or the use of drugs
-
informal blank and without comprehension, as if stupefied in surprise
adverb
Etymology
Origin of gone
First recorded in 1580–90, for the adjective
Explanation
Something that's gone isn't here anymore. If the sun is gone from the sky, it has set for the night and will rise again the next morning. Things and people that have departed are gone, and times that have passed by are gone. When there's nothing left, it's also gone: "Sorry you got here so late — all the pizza's gone!" You can also use the adjective gone to mean "died" or "passed away," as when your friend tearfully tells you that her beloved goldfish is gone. Gone is from the verb go, from the Old English gan, "to depart or go away."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"By identifying an internal brake that had until now gone unrecognized and by developing antibodies capable of neutralizing it, our researchers are offering an innovative solution to the limitations of current treatments," he said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
Dad pretended nothing had gone wrong, which felt worse than being chewed out.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Most of his right heel was gone, and this was the second operation he had undergone.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The pickle juice lingering in a jar long after the pickles are gone.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
What’s worse is that her gift was gone.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.