gung-ho

[guhng-hoh]

adjective

1. wholeheartedly enthusiastic and loyal; eager; zealous.

   a gung-ho military outfit.

adverb

1. in a successful manner.

   The business is going gung-ho.

gung ho

/ ɡʌŋ həʊ /

adjective

1. extremely enthusiastic and enterprising, sometimes to excess

2. extremely keen to participate in military combat

gung-ho

1. Extremely enthusiastic or zealous: “He was gung-ho about going on a vacation to the beach.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gung ho¹

Introduced as a training slogan in 1942 by U.S. Marine officer Evans F. Carlson (1896–1947), from Chinese gōng hé, the abbreviated name of the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society, taken by a literal translation as “work together”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gung ho¹

C20: pidgin English, from Mandarin Chinese kung work + ho together

Idioms and Phrases

Also, gung-ho. Extremely enthusiastic or dedicated, as in She was gung ho about her new job. This expression was introduced in 1942 as a training slogan for a U.S. Marine battalion, derived from what an American officer thought were Mandarin Chinese words for “work together.” It was actually an abbreviation for the name of Chinese industrial cooperatives.