- past participle of go.
gone
Americanverb
adjective
idioms
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far gone,
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much advanced; deeply involved.
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nearly exhausted; almost worn out.
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dying.
The rescue party finally reached the scene of the crash, but most of the survivors were already far gone.
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gone on, infatuated with; in love with.
He is still gone on the woman who jilted him.
verb
adjective
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ended; past
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lost; ruined (esp in the phrases gone goose or gosling )
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dead or near to death
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spent; consumed; used up
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informal faint or weak
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informal having been pregnant (for a specified time)
six months gone
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slang (usually foll by on) in love (with)
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slang in an exhilarated state, as through music or the use of drugs
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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.
As someone who has been in the industry for more than 40 years, Jack feels it would have been unimaginable 20, 30 years ago and that the city has gone "exponentially upwards".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Even when the tomatoes are gone and the bread stall is picked clean, you can usually find some jar of something sharp, spicy and brined: giardiniera, hot peppers, spicy dills, pickled carrots.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
“I had fun watching him, because I know he has gone through hell,” Monday said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Even as more operators have gone electric, James Steele, a safari expert with the travel company Go2Africa, thinks widespread adoption will take time—in part because of high upfront costs and charging challenges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Auntie gave her cup a shake, nothing but ice cubes answering, the tea long gone.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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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.