What does ago mean?
"Ago" is an adverb that measures distance backward in time from the present, always appearing after the span of time it qualifies — as in "two weeks ago," "centuries ago," or "not so long ago." It answers the implicit question of when something happened by anchoring it relative to now, making it indispensable for narration, history, and everyday conversation alike. Unlike most English adverbs, it stubbornly refuses to sit before the phrase it modifies; "ago two weeks" is simply ungrammatical. The word traces its lineage through Middle English "agone," the past participle of "gone," so its very form carries the sense of time that has slipped away. Simple, ancient, and grammatically idiosyncratic, "ago" is a small word with a distinctive personality.
adverbBack in time from the present or a given moment; used after an expression of duration to indicate how far in the past something happened.
- Used after an expression of time to indicate how far in the past something occurred: 'three days ago', 'long ago'.
"She moved to Lisbon ten years ago and never looked back."
"The company was founded nearly a century ago."
"It seems like only yesterday, though we met decades ago."
"Ago" is one of the rare English adverbs that must come *after* the phrase it modifies — you can say "ten years ago," but never "ago ten years."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ago
"Ago" derives from Middle English "agone," the past participle of the verb "gone," itself from Old English "gān" (to go). The original sense was literally "departed" — time that has gone by — which hardened into the modern temporal adverb by the late Middle English period. Its ultimate root is the Proto-Germanic verb *gāną, which also yields the Scots verb "gang" meaning "to go."
How ago is actually used
"Ago" is always postpositive — it follows the time expression it qualifies and cannot precede it. It relates past events to the present moment, so it is normally used with simple past tenses rather than with the present perfect in standard usage.
Easily confused with ago
"Ago" marks how far back in time something happened, while "agog" means eagerly excited or filled with keen anticipation.