gone

American  

[gawn, gon] / gɔn, gɒn /

verb

1. past participle of go.

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adjective

1. departed; left.

2. lost or hopeless.

3. ruined.

4. that has passed away; dead.

5. past.

6. weak and faint.

   a gone feeling.

7. used up.

8. Slang.

   1. pregnant.

      two months gone.

   2. great; outstanding.

   3. exhilarated; inspired.

idioms

1. far gone,

   1. much advanced; deeply involved.

   2. nearly exhausted; almost worn out.

   3. dying.

      The rescue party finally reached the scene of the crash, but most of the survivors were already far gone.

2. gone on, infatuated with; in love with.

   He is still gone on the woman who jilted him.

gone British  

/ ɡɒn /

verb

1. the past participle of go 1

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adjective

1. ended; past

2. lost; ruined (esp in the phrases gone goose or gosling )

3. dead or near to death

4. spent; consumed; used up

5. informal faint or weak

6. informal having been pregnant (for a specified time)

   six months gone

7. slang (usually foll by on) in love (with)

8. slang in an exhilarated state, as through music or the use of drugs

9. informal blank and without comprehension, as if stupefied in surprise

adverb

1. past

   it's gone midnight

gone More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing gone

• a goner
• all gone
• dead and buried (gone)
• far gone
• going, going, gone
• here today, gone tomorrow
• to hell and gone

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Etymology

Origin of gone

First recorded in 1580–90, for the adjective

Explanation

Something that's gone isn't here anymore. If the sun is gone from the sky, it has set for the night and will rise again the next morning. Things and people that have departed are gone, and times that have passed by are gone. When there's nothing left, it's also gone: "Sorry you got here so late — all the pizza's gone!" You can also use the adjective gone to mean "died" or "passed away," as when your friend tearfully tells you that her beloved goldfish is gone. Gone is from the verb go, from the Old English gan, "to depart or go away."

Example Sentences

The Halos have gone to halo, the Big A is now the Big L and, somewhere, a rally monkey weeps.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Some companies have been so eager to use AI that they've gone overboard in a usage binge called "tokenmaxxing."

From Barron's • May 31, 2026

This season 34-year-old Van Dijk's game has become error-strewn, the air of invincibility he carried gone as he has been regularly exposed, as proved by moments of panic-stricken defending previously out of character.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

The world No. 1 and No. 2—so dominant for years—were gone.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

“And I wouldn’t have gone back to my lessons with her without you guys. I’ll owe the gang for that for a long time.”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith