goon

1 of 2

noun

1
: a stupid person
2
a
: a man hired to terrorize or eliminate opponents

go on

2 of 2

verb

went on; gone on; going on; goes on

intransitive verb

1
a
: to continue on or as if on a journey
life goes on
went on to greater things
b
: to keep on : continue
went on smoking
c
: proceed
went on to win the election
2
: to take place : happen
what's going on
3
: to talk especially in an effusive manner
the way people go on about their ancestorsHamilton Basso

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
He’s accompanied by ace assassin, Louie (Gerard Butler, almost unrecognizable), and another goon, Lefty (Louis Cancelmi). Pete Hammond, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025 Hawley waited until the start of the fifth season to lean all the way into the comparison, by borrowing the movie’s inciting incident where a Minnesota Nice housewife is kidnapped by two goons — one hapless, one relentless and seemingly mystical. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
The primary winner will go on to face Republican James Bowers in the November general election. Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025 After it was completed in 2011, the London Aquatics Centre went on to serve as one of the main venues for swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming during the 2012 competitions. Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for goon

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably short for English dialect gooney simpleton

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of goon was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Goon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goon. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

goon

1 of 2 noun
1
: a stupid person
2
: a person hired to terrorize or beat up or kill opponents

go on

2 of 2 verb
1
a
: to continue on or as if on a journey
life goes on
b
: to keep on : continue
went on talking
2
: to take place : happen
what's going on

More from Merriam-Webster on goon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!