going
Americannoun
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the act of leaving or departing; departure.
a safe going and quick return.
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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
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moving or working, as machinery.
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active, alive, or existing.
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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?
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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
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(postpositive) available
the best going
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a statement by an auctioneer that the bidding has finished
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.
“The city and the LA28 committee need to know that this money is going to be made available,” Yaroslavsky said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
Note that when Clark was writing this, she was supposedly in an exclusive relationship with the man she’s going to marry, making this anger-fueled burst of honesty especially odd.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
"I'm not some little businessman who's going to run off. I'll see you in court," he told the cowering official.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
“It may be bearish for the frontier models, it’s actually really bullish for compute and hardware. If frontier models are capturing less of the margin, you’re going to spend more on compute,” said Baker.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
“You going to tell me what happened? When you staked the claim?” he asks.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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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.