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.
Despite the fact that the incident happened eight years ago, the case remains on the minds of many in Canada.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
In Tunis, Nadia Jaouadi, 42, said she does not regret the decision she and her husband made a decade ago not to have children.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman, who stormed out of his Netflix investment a few years ago, has rekindled that old flame.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Thirty-four years ago, a brilliant young hedge-fund manager helped engineer a $1 billion payday for his employer by betting a major currency would be devalued.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
When I agreed to help a few weeks ago, it was a quick extra job, not this permanent new job.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
