1
: a stupid person
2
a
: a man hired to terrorize or eliminate opponents
went on; gone on; going on; goes on
1
a(1)
: to continue on or as if on a journey
left Detroit and went on to Chicago
life goes on
went on to greater things
(2)
: to travel ahead
Go on without me; I'll catch up.
b
: to keep on : continue
The meeting went on for hours.
c
: proceed
went on to win the election
d(1)
: to continue in the same situation
We can't go on like this.
(2)
: to continue living or managing one's life
I can't go on without him.
2
: to take place : happen
What's going on?
3
: to talk especially in an effusive manner
… the way people go on about their ancestors …—
Hamilton Basso
Hamilton Basso4
: to start working
The lights suddenly went on.
5
—used to urge someone to do something
Go on! Try it!
6
—used to express incredulity or skepticism
You were a spy? Oh, go on.
Examples of goon in a Sentence
Noun
He was beat up by a couple of goons.
an unfortunate tendency to call those who disagree with him “brainless goons”
Verb
what in the world is going on in there?
my, but Aunt Betty does go on about all of her aches and pains
Recent Examples on the Web
Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Farrell didn’t get all that much to do in this early bit as a small-time goon working for a folk-hero gangster played by Kevin Spacey (who reportedly discovered Farrell and asked him to join the cast).
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Under his spiritual leadership, Microsoft went on a shopping spree.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for goon
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
Even the combative Venezuela of eight years ago, where kids with homemade shields assembled in the streets day after day to battle the dictatorship’s goons, is a fading memory.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Farrell didn’t get all that much to do in this early bit as a small-time goon working for a folk-hero gangster played by Kevin Spacey (who reportedly discovered Farrell and asked him to join the cast).
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
What’s going on in this show that’s making everyone so fiery?
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Under his spiritual leadership, Microsoft went on a shopping spree.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for goon
Cite this Entry
“Goon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goon. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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