go on meaning and definition

GO ON verb

Definition of go on (verb)

1. continue a certain state, condition, or activity
   • "Keep on working!"; "We continued to work into the night"; "Keep smiling"; "We went on working until well past midnight"
   • synonyms: continue, go along, keep, proceed
   • antonym: discontinue
2. come to pass
   • "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important"
   • synonyms: come about, fall out, hap, happen, occur, pass, pass off, take place
3. move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
   • "Time marches on"
   • synonyms: advance, march on, move on, pass on, progress
   • antonym: draw back
4. continue talking
   • "I know it's hard," he continued, "but there is no choice"; "carry on--pretend we are not in the room"
   • synonyms: carry on, continue, proceed
5. start running, functioning, or operating
   • "the lights went on"; "the computer came up"
   • synonyms: come on, come up
   • antonym: go off