GO ON

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does go on mean? 

• GO ON (verb)
  The verb GO ON has 5 senses:

1. continue a certain state, condition, or activity

2. come to pass

3. move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

4. continue talking

5. start running, functioning, or operating

  Familiarity information: GO ON used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GO ON (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Continue a certain state, condition, or activity

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

continue; go along; go on; keep; proceed

Context example:

We went on working until well past midnight

Hypernyms (to "go on" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Verb group:

bear on; carry on; continue; preserve; uphold (keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last)

continue (continue after an interruption)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "go on"):

hold (remain in a certain state, position, or condition)

keep going; run on (continue uninterrupted)

ride (continue undisturbed and without interference)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sentence example:

They go on moving

Sense 2

Meaning:

Come to pass

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

come about; fall out; go on; hap; happen; occur; pass; pass off; take place

Context example:

Nothing occurred that seemed important

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "go on"):

arise; come up (result or issue)

contemporise; contemporize; synchronise; synchronize (happen at the same time)

turn out (prove to be in the result or end)

fall; shine; strike (touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly)

break (happen or take place)

chance (be the case by chance)

backfire; backlash; recoil (come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect)

coincide; concur (happen simultaneously)

bechance; befall; betide (become of; happen to)

bechance; befall; happen (happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance)

happen; materialise; materialize (come into being; become reality)

come around; roll around (happen regularly)

come off; go off; go over (happen in a particular manner)

develop (be gradually disclosed or unfolded; become manifest)

recur; repeat (happen or occur again)

break; develop; recrudesce (happen)

result (come about or follow as a consequence)

intervene (occur between other event or between certain points of time)

transpire (come about, happen, or occur)

give (occur)

supervene (take place as an additional or unexpected development)

go; proceed (follow a certain course)

come (come to pass; arrive, as in due course)

fall (occur at a specified time or place)

anticipate (be a forerunner of or occur earlier than)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP
It ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 3

Meaning:

Move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

advance; go on; march on; move on; pass on; progress

Context example:

Time marches on

Hypernyms (to "go on" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "go on"):

forge (move ahead steadily)

elapse; glide by; go along; go by; lapse; pass; slide by; slip away; slip by (pass by)

rachet up; ratchet; ratchet down (move by degrees in one direction only)

edge; inch (advance slowly, as if by inches)

close in; draw in (advance or converge on)

overhaul; overtake; pass (travel past)

string; string along (move or come along)

plough on; press on; push on (continue moving forward)

encroach; impinge; infringe (advance beyond the usual limit)

creep up; sneak up (advance stealthily or unnoticed)

penetrate (make one's way deeper into or through)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 4

Meaning:

Continue talking

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

carry on; continue; go on; proceed

Context example:

carry on--pretend we are not in the room

Hypernyms (to "go on" is one way to...):

speak; talk (exchange thoughts; talk with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "go on"):

segue (proceed without interruption; in music or talk)

jog; ramble; ramble on (continue talking or writing in a desultory manner)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sense 5

Meaning:

Start running, functioning, or operating

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

come on; come up; go on

Context example:

the computer came up

Hypernyms (to "go on" is one way to...):

get going; go; start (begin or set in motion)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Antonym:

go off (stop running, functioning, or operating)

 Context examples 

I cannot bear to think of what did come, upon that memorable night; of what must come again, if I go on.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The tears are ice upon her cheeks, and her breath makes a noise as it comes and goes, and she says, 'Let us go on.'

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“These are very deep waters,” said he; “pray go on with your narrative.”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I suggest that you go on your line and I on mine.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Perhaps you would prefer at once to go on to the scene of the crime, Mr. Holmes?” said Gregory.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Haf you no respect for me, that you go on so bad?

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

While he wrote, he could go on studying.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I shall have to arm myself before I dare go on deck with him.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I was about to call him back to the point, but Van Helsing whispered to me: Let him go on.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)