go at – WordReference.com Dictionary of English
-
to move or proceed, esp. to or from something, or to do some activity or for some purpose:
[
no object
]
to go home.
[
~
+
object
]
Are you going my way?
[
~
+
verb-ing
]
They went shopping.
[
~
+
to
+
verb
]
We went to see her last week.
-
to leave a place;
depart:[
no object
]
Please go now; I’m getting tired.
-
to keep or be in motion;
function or operate;
work:[
no object
]
I hear the engine going.
-
to become (the condition as stated):
[
~
+
adjective
]
He went mad.
-
to continue in a certain state or condition:
[
~
+
adjective
]
to go barefoot.
[
~
+
adverb phrase
]
We went in shorts and tee shirts even in December.
-
to act as specified:
[
no object
]
go full speed ahead.
-
to act so as to come into a certain state or condition:
[
~
+
to/into
]
Let’s go to sleep.
-
to be known:
[
~
+
by/under
+
object
]
She went by a false name.
-
to reach or give access to:
[
not: be
+
~-ing* no object
]
This road goes to the beach.
-
to pass or elapse;
pass by;
slip away:[
no object
]
The time went fast.
-
to be applied or allotted to or used for a particular recipient or purpose:
[
no object
]
My money goes for food and rent.
-
to be sold:
[
no object
]
The house went for very little.
-
to be considered generally or usually:
[
not: be
+
~-ing* no object
]
He’s tall, as jockeys go.
-
to tend:
[
~
+
to
+
verb
]
This only goes to prove the point.
-
to belong;
have a place:[
not: be
+
~-ing* no object
]
This book goes here.
-
to harmonize;
be compatible:[
not: be
+
~-ing* no object
]
Your shirt and tie go well together.
-
to fit or extend:
[
not: be
+
~-ing* no object
]
This belt won’t go around my waist.
-
to be or become consumed or used up:
[
no object
]
The cake went fast.
-
to be or become discarded, thrown away, dismissed, etc.:
[
no object
]
That awful jacket has got to go.
-
to result or end;
turn out:[
no object
]
How did the game go?
-
to develop or proceed:
[
no object
]
How is your new job going?
-
to move or proceed with remarkable speed or energy:
[
no object
]
Look at that airplane go!
-
to make a certain sound:
[
no object
]
The gun goes bang.
-
to be phrased, written, or composed:
[
no object
]
How does that song go?
[
~
+
clause
]
That saying went: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
-
to fail or give way:
[
no object
]
His eyesight is beginning to go.
-
to die:
[
no object
]
She went peacefully in her sleep last night.
-
to come into action;
begin:[
no object
]
Go when you hear the bell.
-
Mathematics
to be or be able to be divided:
[
not: be
+
~-ing* no object
]
Three goes into fifteen five times.
-
The phrase be
+
going
+
to plus the root form of a verb is used to mean nearly the same things as the word
will
, that is “to do in the future;
to have as one’s goal in the future”:We’re going to leave soon (= We will leave soon). Their daughter is going to be a doctor (= Their daughter’s goal is to be a doctor).
-
to be allowable:
[
not: be
+
~-ing* no object
]
Around here, anything goes.
-
to be the final word:
[
not: be
+
~-ing* no object
]
Whatever I say goes!
-
to put oneself through:
[
no object
]
Don’t go to any trouble.
-
The root form of go followed directly by the root form of another verb in informal contexts is used to mean “proceed to,” with the meaning of greater feeling or emotion about the statement:
He had to go ask for a loan (= He had to proceed to ask for a loan).
-
Informal Terms
[
no object
]
to urinate or defecate.
-
Informal Terms
to risk, pay, afford, bet, or bid:
[
~
+
object
]
I’ll go you one better.
- go about:
-
[
~
+
object
]
to occupy oneself with;
perform:went about her work with a smile.
-
-
go after,
[
~
+
object
]
to attempt to obtain;
try to accomplish;
strive for:He went after first prize in the contest.
-
go against,
[
~
+
object
]
to be in conflict with or opposed to:
Lateness goes against company policy.
-
go ahead,
[
no object
]
to proceed without hesitation or delay:
Go ahead and use my car.
- go along,
[
no object
]
-
to agree;
cooperate:She’ll go along with your decision.
-
to make progress;
move along:The project is going along quite well.
-
- go around,
[
no object
]
-
to be often in company:
went around with a bad crowd.
-
to pass or circulate:
A rumor is going around.
-
[
not: be
+
~-ing
]
to be sufficient for all:
There is enough to go around.
-
[
~
+
verb-ing
]
to do or perform (the action of the verb following) often:
likes to go around hurting people.
-
- go at,
[
~
+
object
]
-
to assault;
attack:went at him with renewed strength.
-
to begin or proceed vigorously:
went at his new job with enthusiasm.
-
go at it, to fight;
argue:They’re going at it again.
-
- go by:
-
[
no object
]
to pass:
Don’t let this chance go by. Several months went by.
-
[
~
+
object
]
to be guided by:
He always goes by the book (= He is always guided by the rules).
-
- go down,
[
no object
]
-
to decrease:
The inflation rate went down a little.
-
to sink:
The ship went down.
-
to suffer defeat:
Our team went down for the third time in a row.
-
to be accepted or believed:
His comment didn’t go down well.
-
to be remembered in history or by posterity:
He wants to go down as a great leader.
-
[
Slang.
]
to happen;
occur:What’s been going down since I’ve been away?
-
Education
[
Brit.
]
to leave a university, permanently or at the end of a term.
-
to stop functioning:
The computer went down.
-
- go for,
[
~
+
object
]
-
to make an attempt at;
try for:to go for a win.
-
to assault:
He went for the man with the gun.
-
to favor;
like:went for him in a big way.
-
-
go in for,
[
~
+
object
]
to occupy oneself with:
He goes in for chess.
- go into,
[
~
+
object
]
-
to discuss, examine, or investigate:
I don’t want to go into your private life.
-
to begin or enter as one’s field of study or work:
She went into physics quite by accident.
-
- go off,
[
no object
]
-
to explode:
The bomb went off.
-
to make a loud noise:
What time will the alarm go off?
-
(of what has been expected or planned) to happen:
The party went off exactly as we hoped.
-
to leave, esp. suddenly:
He went off with the money.
-
- go on:
-
[
no object
]
to happen or take place:
What’s going on at the office?
-
[
~
+
verb-ing
]
to continue:
Go on working.
-
to progress;
go forward:[
no object
]
The show must go on.
[
~
+
to
+
object
]
Those trainees will go on to flying school.
[
~
+
to
+
verb
]
She went on to achieve great success on the stage.
-
[
no object
]
to behave;
act:If you go on like that, they’ll fire you.
-
[
no object
]
to talk without stopping;
chatter. -
The phrase go on is used to express disbelief:
Go on, you’re kidding me.
-
Show Business
[
no object
]
to appear onstage in a theatrical performance:
He went on as Othello.
-
- go out,
[
no object
]
-
to cease or fail to function:
The lights went out.
-
to participate in social activities:
We like to go out on weekends.
-
to take part in a strike:
The drivers’ union went out (on strike) last week.
-
- go over:
-
[
~
+
object
]
to repeat;
review;
examine:Let’s go over the examples one more time.
-
[
no object
]
to be effective or successful;
to be accepted or believed:The proposal just didn’t go over.
-
- go through:
-
[
~
+
object
]
to bear;
experience:didn’t want to go through a divorce.
-
[
~
+
object
]
to examine;
search:They went through our records very carefully.
-
[
no object
]
to be accepted or approved (by):
I hear your promotion just went through.
-
[
~
+
object
]
to use up;
spend:We went through all this month’s money.
-
-
go through with,
[
~
+
object
]
to stay with (something) to the end:
She went through with the divorce.
- go under,
[
no object
]
-
to be overwhelmed or ruined;
fail:Yet another business went under.
-
Naval Terms
(of a ship) to sink.
-
- go up,
[
no object
]
-
to be in the process of construction, as a building:
Another high-rise building is going up.
-
to increase in cost, value, etc.:
Prices went up again last year.
-
Education
[
Brit.
]
to go to a university at the beginning of a term.
-
go1
USA pronunciation
v.,
went/wɛnt/
USA pronunciation
gone/gɔn, gɑn/
USA pronunciation
go•ing,
n., pl.
goes,
adj.
v.
go with,
[
~
+
object
]
[
not: be
+
~-ing
]
to harmonize or match:
That hat goes with your dress.
See go (def. 16).
to have a relationship with:
She’s going with yet another movie star this month.
See
go out with
below.