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weak, damaged, or worn out: My voice has gone because of my cold. | These old shoes are beginning to go. 7 [I] to start an action or activity: All the preparations for the project have been completed, so we're ready to go. | The signal to begin a race is 'One, two, three, go!' or 'Ready, steady, go!' | If we don't get going on this work soon it'll never be ready in time. 8 [I] (of a machine) to work (properly): This clock doesn't go. | I can't get the car to go. 9 [T] a) to make the stated sound: Ducks go 'quack'. | The guns went 'boom'. b) nonstandard to say: So then she goes 'Don't you ever do that again!', and he laughs. 10 [I+adv/prep] to make a particular movement: When he was explaining it, he went like this with his hands. OTHER MEANINGS 11 [I+adv/prep; not in progressive forms] to reach (as far as stated): Which road goes to the station? | The valley goes from east to west. | The roots of the plant go deep. | The belt's too short – it won't go round my waist. | (fig.) She's very talented; I'm sure she'll go far. (=be very successful) | (fig.) A pound doesn't go far (=buy much) these days. 12 [I not in progressive forms] a) to fit: Your foot's too big – it won't go (into the shoe). b) (into) to divide a certain number, especially so as to give an exact figure: Three into two won't go. | Two goes into ten five times. 13 [I+adv/prep; not in progressive forms] to be placed, especially usually placed: The chairs can go against that wall. | Which cupboard do these plates go in? 14 [I (for, to)] to be sold: The house went for £30,000. | The oranges were going cheap, so I bought ten. | Each lot will go to the highest bidder. | 'Any more bids for this lot, the silver tray?' said the auctioneer, 'going ... going ... gone!' (=I have sold it) 15 [I] (with must, can, have to) to be got rid of: The car must go – we can't afford it any more. | It's no use; that secretary will have to go. She can't even spell! 16 [I+adv/prep; not in progressive forms] to be stated, said, or sung in a particular way: I can't remember how this poem goes. | The tune goes something like this. | [+that] The story goes that he was murdered by his wife. 17 [I; not in progressive forms] to (have to) be accepted or acceptable: As far as my boss is concerned anything goes. (=we can do what we like) | You may not like it, but he's in charge and what he says goes. 18 [I+adv/prep] to happen or develop in the stated way: The party went well. | How are things going/ infml How's it going (old-fash) How goes it? (=is everything happening satisfactorily?) | Everything's going fine/nicely/swimmingly at the moment. | (BrE infml) It will go hard with any boy caught cheating. (=he will be in serious trouble) 19 [I] euph to die: Now her husband's gone/ dead and gone she's all on her own. FIXED PHRASES 20 as/so far as something goes up to but not beyond the limits of something's quality; in itself: A bike's quite good as far as it goes, but you need a car to be really mobile. 21 as someone/ something goes compared with the average person or thing of that type: She's not a bad cook, as cooks go, but she's no expert. | It's cheap, as these things go. 22 be going infml to be present for use or enjoyment: Is there any food going? 23 be going to (do or happen) (showing the future; not usually in sentences containing a condition) a) (of a person) to intend to: He's going to buy her some shoes. (compare He'll buy her some shoes if she asked him to.) They're going (to go) to Cairo next year. | She's going to ring us from the station. b) (of a thing or event that cannot be controlled) to be certain to, or expected to, at some time in the future: Is it going to rain? | I'm going to be sick! | She's going to have a baby. -> see GONNA (USAGE) 24 go and ...: a) to go in order to ...: I'll just go and get my pen. | It's time you went and saw your mother. -> compare try and ... (TRY1) b) infml (often used for expressing surprise) to do the stated thing: He's gone and ordered a brand new car! | You've really gone and done it now! (=done something terrible)
In American English 'and' is sometimes left out after 'go', but never after 'went' or 'gone': Someone's at the door—go see who it is. | I'm just about to go do my homework.
25 go as far as || also so far as BrE to make such a strong statement or take such strong action as: I wouldn't go so far as to say he's handsome, but he's certainly quite nice-looking. 26 go it BrE old-fash to go at a very fast speed: To get from London to Glasgow in six hours by car is certainly going it! 27 go it alone to act independently: She's decided to go it alone and start her own business. 28 go one better to do better; go beyond: Very impressive; but I can go one better (than you): I actually spoke to the Queen! 29 go steady old-fash (of a boy and girl) to go out together regularly: They've been going steady for years. 30 go too far to go beyond the limits of what is considered reasonable: I know he was rude to you, but I think you went too far, insulting his wife like that. 31 to go: a) still remaining before something happens: Only three days to go before/to Christmas! b) AmE (of cooked food sold in a shop) to be taken away and not eaten in the shop: Two chicken dinners with corn to go! -> compare TAKEAWAY 32 that's the way it goes (an expression used when trying not to feel unhappy about something that has failed, or about bad news) good things and bad things happen, according to chance, and there is nothing you can do about it: Your sister can't come to visit? Oh well, that's the way it goes. 33 -goer /gəʊər/ a person who goes regularly to the stated place or activity: churchgoers | filmgoers -> see also GOER 34 -going /gəʊɪ/ (in [A] adjectives and [U] nouns) (the activity of) going regularly to the stated place or activity: the theatregoing public | churchgoing -> see also GOING1, 2, GONE
The usual past participle of go is gone but if we mean 'visit' or 'go to a place then leave it' it is been. Compare: George has gone to Paris. (=he's there now) | George has been to Paris. (=he's visited Paris in the past) | The doctor hasn't gone yet. (=he's still in the house) | The doctor hasn't been yet. (=he has not yet visited the house)
PHRASAL VERBS
go about phr v 1 [T(go about sthg.)] to perform or do: It was a typical Monday morning and people were going about their work/their business in the usual way. 2 [T(go about sthg.)] also set about — to begin working at; TACKLE: That's not the best way to go about it. | [+v-ing] I wouldn't have the first idea how to go about mending a clock. 3 [I] (of a ship) to turn round to face in the opposite direction 4 [I+with/ TOGETHER] to go around (2)
go after sthg./sbdy. phr v [T pass. rare] to try to obtain or win; chase: to go after a job/a girl/a prize
go against sbdy./sthg. phr v [T no pass.] 1 to act in opposition to: She went against her mother's wishes. 2 to be unfavourable to (someone): Opinion is going against us. | The case may go against you. (=you may lose it) 3 to be opposite to; not be in agreement with (something): It would go against my principles to work for a company that manufactured weapons.
go ahead phr v [I] 1 to go in advance of others: You go (on) ahead; we'll catch up with you later. 2 [with] to begin: Go ahead, we're all listening. | The council gave us permission to go ahead with our building plans. | 'Do you mind if I smoke?' 'Go ahead.' (=No, I do not mind.) 3 to continue; advance: Work is going ahead. -> see also GO-AHEAD
go along phr v [I] to continue with an activity, movement, plan etc; PROCEED: I like to add up my bank account as I go along. | You'll get more used to the job as you go along.
go along with sbdy./sthg. phr v [T] 1 to agree with; support: They were quite happy to go along with our suggestion. | I'd go along with you there. 2 Go along with you! BrE infml I don't believe you!
go around phr v [I] 1 [usually in progressive forms] also go round — (of an illness) to spread: There are a lot of very bad colds going around at the moment. 2 [+with / TOGETHER] also go about — to be often out in public (with someone): Why do you go around with such strange people? 3 to be enough for everyone; go round
go at sthg. phr v [T no pass.] infml to deal with or begin to do with great force or effort; TACKLE: He went at his breakfast as if he hadn't eaten for days.
go back phr v [I] 1 to return to a former place, state, method etc: Let's go back home now. | If the new arrangement doesn't work out, we'll go back to the old one. | Let's go back to what the chairman said earlier. 2 [+adv/prep] to have one's origins in (an earlier time): Some of the university buildings go back as far as medieval times. 3 to have been friends with for (a long time): He and I go back years and years.
go back on sbdy./sthg. phr v [T pass. rare] to break or not keep (a promise, agreement etc): He went back on his word and refused to lend us the money.
go by phr v 1 [I] to pass (in place or time): A car went by. | Two years went by. | She let the chance go by. (=lost it) 2 [T no