What does going mean?
Going is the -ing form of the English verb go, but it functions in several additional ways. Most commonly, it accompanies forms of “be” to describe an activity in progress, as in “she is going to work,” and it can express a present or future intention: “They are going to move abroad.” It also appears before an infinitive, where it is generally informal but extremely common in conversation. As an adjective, going describes something currently operating or continuing, especially in business language such as “going concern.” As a noun, “the going” refers to the progress, conditions, or speed of an activity: “The going is slow on the mountain road.” These flexible meanings make going more than a simple marker of motion: it can signal action, intention, continuation, and the general state of events.
The present participle and gerund of go, used to describe movement, activity in progress, or a future intention.
"The ferry is going to the island twice a day."
With “to,” it commonly expresses a present or future intention in informal English.
Describing something that is operating, continuing, or in progress.
"The company has been a going concern for more than fifty years."
The expression “going concern” is especially common in business and legal contexts.
The condition, progress, or speed of an activity or journey, usually used in the uncountable expression “the going.”
"Despite the rain, the going was surprisingly good."
The separate plural noun “goings” means conduct or happenings and is often used in the expression “goings-on.”
The plural “goings” means conduct, activities, or happenings and commonly occurs in “goings-on.”
"Nobody knows what the goings-on are like at the office."
Going can describe a movement, a plan, a business, or even the progress of an entire journey: one word, several different kinds of momentum.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does going come from?
Going is the modern present-participle and gerund form of go, whose immediate historical ancestor is the Old English verb gān, meaning “to go.” The productive English -ing ending was used to form present participles and gerunds during the Middle English period, and going became the standard form associated with this verb in modern English. The same verb also supplies the irregular forms went and gone; these are older grammatical developments rather than separate words with independent origins.
Related word forms
How going is actually used
In everyday English, “going to” is informal when used for a future intention, though it is fully standard in speech and informal writing. In formal writing, “will” or a present tense may be preferred when the intention has already been decided. The noun “going” is usually uncountable in the expression “the going,” while “goings” is a separate plural noun meaning conduct or happenings.
Easily confused with going
Going describes movement or activity, while growing describes an increase in size, quantity, or development.