ago
Americanadjective
adverb
adverb
Usage
What does ago mean? Ago means in the past. It’s always used in combination with other words that indicate exactly or about how much time has passed since something happened—never by itself (you wouldn’t say That happened ago). Examples of such phrases are three weeks ago, an hour ago, five days ago, long ago, and a long time ago. Example: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ….
Etymology
Origin of ago
before 1000; Middle English ago ( n ), Old English āgān, past participle of āgān to go by, pass, equivalent to ā- a- 3 + gān to go 1
Explanation
Use ago to mean "earlier" or "in the past." Dinosaurs lived a long time ago. The adverb ago refers to a time before the present moment, sometimes in the distant past, and sometimes more recently: "She just left for her appointment ten minutes ago." When you talk about the more remote past, you might say "long ago" or "a long time ago." Ago was originally a shortened form of agone in Middle English, "departed or passed 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.
The last time a men's number one opened proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier before the semi-final stage was 10 years ago, when Novak Djokovic beat Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Just one year ago, inflation had slowed to a 2.3% rate.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
My father, who died of cancer several years ago, would have had a field day with Mr. Platner.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
A year ago, XPeng reported a loss of 10 cents from sales of $2.2 billion.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Some had been released months ago: their discharge papers and railway passes were ragged from opening and refolding.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
