- present participle of go.
going
Americannoun
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the act of leaving or departing; departure.
a safe going and quick return.
-
the condition of surfaces, as those of roads, for walking or driving.
After the heavy rain, the going was bad.
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progress; advancement.
With such slow going, the work is behind schedule.
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Usually goings. behavior; conduct; deportment.
adjective
-
moving or working, as machinery.
-
active, alive, or existing.
-
continuing to operate or do business, especially in a successful manner.
a going company.
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current; prevalent; usual.
What is the going price of good farmland in this area?
-
leaving; departing.
idioms
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going away, by a wide margin, especially as established in the late stages of a contest.
The champion won the bout going away.
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get going, to begin; get started.
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going on,
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nearly; almost.
It's going on four o'clock.
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happening.
What's going on here?
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continuing; lasting.
That party has been going on all night.
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noun
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a departure or farewell
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the condition of a surface such as a road or field with regard to walking, riding, etc
muddy going
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informal speed, progress, etc
we made good going on the trip
adjective
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thriving (esp in the phrase a going concern )
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current or accepted, as from past negotiations or commercial operation
the going rate for electricians
the going value of the firm
-
(postpositive) available
the best going
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a statement by an auctioneer that the bidding has finished
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of going
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; see go 1, -ing 1, -ing 2
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.
District Judge Linda Lopez said, “I don’t know how many years it’s going to be before I get that photo out of my mind. Your conduct was egregious.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
Europe was going to have to spend hundreds of billions of dollars replicating systems America traditionally supplied.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
Their motto throughout this tournament has been 'Mekameleen', which means 'we'll keep going'.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
“Until recently,” he told the crowd, “I thought that harbormaster of Sullivan, Maine, was going to be the extent of my political career.”
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
The lady was only going to be in town for one more night.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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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.