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Synonyms

goner

American  
[gaw-ner, gon-er] / ˈgɔ nər, ˈgɒn ər /

noun

Informal.

  1. a person or thing that is dead, lost, or past recovery.

goner British  
/ ˈɡɒnə /

noun

  1. slang a person or thing beyond help or recovery, esp a person who is dead or about to die

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of goner

First recorded in 1840–50; gone + -er 1

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 whole family basically thought I was a goner," he wrote.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2025

When a tree has 25 or more exit holes, it’s probably a goner, Durbin said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2024

It’s a goner, he thought — far too damaged to even think about trying to repair.

From Washington Post • Nov. 6, 2022

Then when the camera lingered on his departure from Dragonstone, until the little boy on his little dragon faded into the night, I was sure he was a goner.

From New York Times • Oct. 23, 2022

As sure as I was that Stef was a goner if the rescue didn’t happen by tomorrow.

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin

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.