gung-ho

[ guhng-hoh ]

adjective

1. wholeheartedly enthusiastic and loyal; eager; zealous:

   a gung-ho military outfit.

adverb

1. in a successful manner:

   The business is going gung-ho.

gung ho

/ ɡʌŋ həʊ /

adjective

1. extremely enthusiastic and enterprising, sometimes to excess
2. extremely keen to participate in military combat

gung-ho

1. Extremely enthusiastic or zealous: “He was gung-ho about going on a vacation to the beach.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gung-ho¹

Introduced as a training slogan in 1942 by U.S. Marine officer Evans F. Carlson (1896–1947), from Chinese gōng hé, the abbreviated name of the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society, taken by a literal translation as “work together”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gung-ho¹

C20: pidgin English, from Mandarin Chinese kung work + ho together

Idioms and Phrases

Also, gung-ho . Extremely enthusiastic or dedicated, as in She was gung ho about her new job . This expression was introduced in 1942 as a training slogan for a U.S. Marine battalion, derived from what an American officer thought were Mandarin Chinese words for “work together.” It was actually an abbreviation for the name of Chinese industrial cooperatives.

Example Sentences

All 130 employees share a similar vision and all seem very gung ho about their racy products.

From The Daily Beast

Even after the subpoenas started flying, he remained gung-ho on entitlement reform.

From The Daily Beast

Now it's true, he makes no campaign contributions, so he's obviously not a gung-ho big-P Political Republican.

From The Daily Beast

Ron Howard even cast him in a bit part in his 1986 movie Gung Ho.

From The Daily Beast

I was haunted by the clueless Paul Bremer clones I met in Kuwait who were so gung ho to inspire “democracy.”

From The Daily Beast