goings-on
Americannoun
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conduct or behavior, especially when open to criticism.
We had never seen such goings-on as at the last dance.
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happenings; events.
The American newspaper kept her in touch with the goings-on back home.
plural noun
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actions or conduct, esp when regarded with disapproval
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happenings or events, esp when mysterious or suspicious
there were strange goings-on up at the Hall
Etymology
Origin of goings-on
First recorded in 1765–75; noun use of present participle phrase going on
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.
For Powell, herself a participant in New York’s artistic circles, “The Golden Spur” was an opportunity to compare the goings-on of her 1920s youth with the postwar situation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Jackie’s rise to reality stardom began after Friends of Big Bear Valley installed a webcam in 2015 to capture the goings-on of her parents’ nest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The truth of Eckert's involvement - or whether he even know about the goings-on - should soon become known.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
For fellow Brussels local Michel Elias, however, the artwork allowed him to reflect on contemporary goings-on in the Holy Land.
From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025
“Uncle Louver says there’s critters of all shapes and sizes out here. He tells quite the tale about goings-on in the woods.”
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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.
