GOING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does going mean? 

• GOING (noun)
  The noun GOING has 3 senses:

1. the act of departing

2. euphemistic expressions for death

3. advancing toward a goal

  Familiarity information: GOING used as a noun is uncommon.

• GOING (adjective)
  The adjective GOING has 1 sense:

1. in full operation

  Familiarity information: GOING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GOING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of departing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

departure; going; going away; leaving

Hypernyms ("going" is a kind of...):

act; deed; human action; human activity (something that people do or cause to happen)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "going"):

breaking away (departing hastily)

farewell; leave; leave-taking; parting (the act of departing politely)

French leave (an abrupt and unannounced departure (without saying farewell))

disappearance; disappearing (the act of leaving secretly or without explanation)

withdrawal (the act of withdrawing)

sailing (the departure of a vessel from a port)

boarding; embarkation; embarkment (the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft)

exit (the act of going out)

despatch; dispatch; shipment (the act of sending off something)

takeoff (a departure; especially of airplanes)

Derivation:

go (move away from a place into another direction)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Euphemistic expressions for death

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

departure; exit; expiration; going; loss; passing; release

Context example:

thousands mourned his passing

Hypernyms ("going" is a kind of...):

death; decease; expiry (the event of dying or departure from life)

Domain usage:

euphemism (an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh)

Derivation:

go (pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Advancing toward a goal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

going; sledding

Context example:

the proposal faces tough sledding

Hypernyms ("going" is a kind of...):

accomplishment; achievement (the action of accomplishing something)

Derivation:

go (pass, fare, or elapse; of a certain state of affairs or action)

• GOING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

In full operation

Context example:

a going concern

Similar:

active (full of activity or engaged in continuous activity)

 Context examples 

They were always very careful, I observed, to turn my face away from the window, so that I became consumed with the desire to see what was going on behind my back.

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

It suggests that he did not think it was going to be of much practical importance.

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

Something was going on in that mind of his, and, whatever it was, I knew it was well worth knowing.

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

But, however, he did not admire her at all; indeed, nobody can, you know; and he seemed quite struck with Jane as she was going down the dance.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

He had fainted but once in his life, and he thought he was going to faint again.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

There was no one in Charles Street, but a great traffic was going on, as usual, in Whitehall, at the extremity.

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

“Are you only going to Yarmouth then?” I asked.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“You ain’t going to take him out now?” the driver asked.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to?

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I'm going to take your dog from you, and I'm going to give you a hundred and fifty for him.

(White Fang, by Jack London)