What does begone mean?
Begone is an interjection used as an abrupt, forceful command to leave — essentially an emphatic version of 'go away.' It originated as an ordinary imperative phrase, 'be gone,' in which 'be' functioned as an auxiliary with the past participle 'gone' to form a command, a construction common in earlier stages of English but now largely obsolete elsewhere. Over time the two words fused into a single fixed expression. Today begone sounds distinctly archaic, literary, or theatrical: it evokes wizards banishing spirits, haughty nobles dismissing servants, or speakers adopting a deliberately grandiose register. In everyday modern speech it appears mainly for humorous or dramatic effect rather than genuine instruction. Its forcefulness comes from its very antiquity — the word's form signals authority and finality in a way that plain 'leave' does not. Writers reach for it precisely because it sounds like something from another era.
interjectionA forceful command telling someone to go away at once; it is a fossilized imperative form of the archaic construction 'be gone,' meaning 'go away.'
- An emphatic command to go away immediately, used as an interjection.
""Begone!" the wizard thundered, and the intruder fled into the night."
"The old man waved his stick at the trespassers and shouted, "Begone from my land!""
"In the play, the sorceress dismisses the spirit with a curt "Begone!""
'Begone' is a living fossil of English grammar — a command built on the old 'be + past participle' pattern that survives today only in this single dramatic word.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of begone
Begone derives from Middle English, formed by fusing the auxiliary 'be' with the past participle 'gone' to create an emphatic imperative meaning 'go away.' The verb 'go' itself traces back to Old English gān, which shares ancient Germanic roots with Dutch gaan and German gehen. The fused spelling 'begone' became established as a set expression by early modern times and survives today only in this dramatic, fossilized form.
How begone is actually used
Highly theatrical and archaic in flavor; almost never used in ordinary conversation except jokingly or in fantasy, literary, or mock-formal registers. It carries a tone of dramatic authority or dismissal.
Easily confused with begone
'Gone' is the past participle of 'go' describing something departed, while 'begone' is a command ordering someone to depart.