going: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
A1All registers (very high frequency, neutral)
Quick answer
What does “going” mean?
The present participle or gerund of the verb 'go', indicating movement or travel from one place to another, or the process of leaving/advancing.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The present participle or gerund of the verb 'go', indicating movement or travel from one place to another, or the process of leaving/advancing.
The act or process of moving, traveling, or departing. Used in various grammatical constructions to indicate future intention ('be going to'), continuity, or as a noun meaning 'the state of a path/conditions for travel' (e.g., 'the going is tough'). Can also mean 'current' or 'functioning', as in 'a going concern'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal differences. The noun 'going' in phrases like 'while the going is good' is slightly more common in UK English. US English may use 'going on' more frequently for events ("What's going on?").
Connotations
Identical core connotations.
Frequency
Equally ultra-frequent in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “going” in a Sentence
[be] going to + INF (future)[SUBJ] be going + ADV/PREP (movement)[SUBJ] keep going + (with NP)[SUBJ] have NP going for themVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “going” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She's going to the cinema tonight.
- Are you going to tell him?
- This train is going to Edinburgh.
American English
- He's going to the mall later.
- What are you going to do about it?
- The project is going well.
adverb
British English
- (Rare as pure adverb) The food was going cheap at the market.
American English
- (Rare as pure adverb) He sold it going on ten years ago.
adjective
British English
- That's the going price for a flat here.
- It's a thriving, going business.
American English
- What's the going rate for babysitting?
- The store is still a going concern.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to operational status or market price: 'a going concern', 'the going rate for developers'.
Academic
Used in descriptions of processes or future plans: 'The study is going to examine...'
Everyday
Ubiquitous for movement, plans, and events: 'I'm going to the shop.', 'What's going on?'
Technical
Limited specific use; may appear in instructions (e.g., 'the machine is going').
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “going”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “going”
- *'I going to...' (omission of 'am/is/are'). Correct: 'I am going to...'
- Overusing 'will' when intention is involved; 'I'm going to visit her' vs. 'I will visit her'.
- Spelling: *'goeing'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Going to' indicates a future plan, intention, or prediction based on current evidence. 'Will' is used for instant decisions, promises, offers, or predictions not based on obvious evidence.
Yes, in contexts like 'The going was tough on the muddy track', where it means 'the conditions or progress of movement/activity'.
It's a standard future construction. 'Going to' is a fixed grammatical chunk. 'I'm going to go' means 'I intend to go/leave'. The first 'going' is part of the future marker, the second is the main verb.
It is a common feature of informal, rapid speech in many English dialects (called G-dropping). It is not standard in formal writing but is widely used in casual spoken contexts and represented in dialogue.
The present participle or gerund of the verb 'go', indicating movement or travel from one place to another, or the process of leaving/advancing.
Going is usually all registers (very high frequency, neutral) in register.
Going: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡəʊ.ɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “going Dutch”
- “going bananas”
- “going places”
- “going for a song”
- “the going rate”
- “tough going”
- “a going concern”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a GO-cart that is GOING. The '-ing' is the sound its wheels make as it moves.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS MOVEMENT / THE FUTURE IS AHEAD ('We're going to win'), PROGRESS IS FORWARD MOTION ('How's it going?'), LIFE IS A JOURNEY ('She's going places').
Practice
Quiz
In the phrase 'a going concern', what part of speech is 'going'?