go on

Verb (1)

go on (third-person singular simple present goes on, present participle going on, simple past went on, past participle gone on)

1. (intransitive) To continue in extent.
   • The meeting seemed to go on forever.
   • This road goes on for another twenty miles.

   Synonyms:

   endure, abide, aby, astand, lie, prevail, hold on, last, live, persist

2. (intransitive) To continue an action.
   • I think I've said enough now; I'm not sure I should go on.
   • He went on walking even when the policeman told him to stop.

   Synonyms:

   keep on, carry on, advance, forthgo, proceed, resume

3. (intransitive) To proceed (to do something).
   • He started the competition badly but went on to win the gold medal.
   • "Do you want to hear a joke?" — "Oh, all right, go on then."

   Synonyms:

   carry on, continue, keep on, proceed, roll on, hunker down

4. (intransitive) To talk frequently or at great length (about a subject).
   • Near-synonyms: blather, prattle, drone on, rabbit; see also Thesaurus:chatter
   • Will you stop going on about your stupid holiday?

   Synonyms:

   blather, prattle, drone on, rabbit

5. (intransitive, progressive aspect) To happen (occur).
   • What's going on downstairs? What's all that noise down there?
   • I really don't want to know what goes on between you and your boyfriend behind closed doors.

   Synonyms:

   come to pass, take place, bechance, befall, behap, belimp, betide, betime, beworth, chance

6. (intransitive) To move or proceed so as to become "on" in any of various senses.
   • Bertha's about to finish her song. Who's going on next?
   • Smith went on for Jones at left back after Jones got injured.

Interjection

1. Expressing that the speaker can continue speaking without interruption from the listener.
   • Go on! You were saying about those other ones too?
2. Expressing surprise, disbelief or incredulity.
   • A: He asked Fiona to marry him.
     B: Go on!
     A: It's true, I swear.

   Synonyms:

   fiddlesticks, go on with you, horsefeathers, pull the other one, applesauce, bender, bollocks, bosh, bugger off, bullcrap

3. (Australia, New Zealand, especially) Expressing encouragement, see come on.
   • Go on! You can do it!

   Synonyms:

   attaboy, you go, girl, all right, c'mon, carn, come along, come on, heigh, hon, howay

4. (UK, especially) Yes; okay; it's a deal.
   • —So three hundred on the chair then, and can we do two-fifty on the clock?
     —Go on, then.

Verb (2)

go on (third-person singular simple present goes on, present participle going on, simple past went on, past participle gone on)

1. (transitive) To use and adopt (information) in order to understand an issue, make a decision, etc.; to go by.
   • We can't go on what this map says; it's twenty years out of date.
   • I didn't make a decision because I didn't have anything to go on.