going
going — noun
1. the speed at which a person or group makes progress through a task or activity,
the speed at which a person or group makes progress through a task or activity, measured by how much gets done in a given time.
With three helpers, the going on the painting was much faster than Hui expected.
adjective + going for progress speed
The going on this crossword is slow because every clue is a tricky one.
Hugo and his cousins made good going on the drive north and arrived two hours ahead of schedule.
make good going — achieve rapid progress
After chapter one, the going became smoother and Tyler finished the book in two days.
- slow going
- good going
- heavy going
- steady going
- easy going
Grammar Patterns
adjective + going
make + adjective + going
Usage Note
Frequently paired with an adjective before 'going' to express the quality of progress (slow going, easy going, heavy going). The adjective carries the evaluative meaning; 'going' itself simply names the dimension of progress.
Common Mistakes
2. the level of difficulty or challenge that something presents — for example, a bo
the level of difficulty or challenge that something presents — for example, a book, a task, or a period of time that feels mentally or physically demanding.
The calculus exam was tough going even for Cole, who usually gets top marks.
tough going — mentally demanding
The novel's first half is heavy going, but the second half is much quicker.
heavy going — slow and difficult to get through
This hiking trail is rough going for anyone who is not used to steep climbs.
Learning Japanese was slow going at first, but after six months Ada could converse.
- tough going
- heavy going
- rough going
- hard going
- easy going
- challenge
more formal; 'going' is more informal and idiomatic
Grammar Patterns
adjective + going
Usage Note
Used in the pattern 'it is [adjective] going' or '[noun phrase] is [adjective] going'. The adjective signals the degree of difficulty: 'tough', 'heavy', 'rough', 'hard' indicate high difficulty; 'easy' indicates low difficulty. Distinguish from sense 1 (noun/1) where the focus is on speed rather than difficulty.
Common Mistakes
3. the physical condition of a surface that people walk, ride, or drive on, especia
the physical condition of a surface that people walk, ride, or drive on, especially when that condition affects how easy or safe travel is.
After the heavy rain, the going on the dirt path was extremely slippery and muddy.
ground/terrain condition after weather
The going on the golf course was perfect after the groundskeeper cut the grass.
Riders complained that the going on the racetrack was too soft for safe galloping.
horse-racing context for ground condition
Cyclists avoided the park since the going on the gravel was too bumpy.
- soft going
- hard going
- good going
- bad going
- heavy going
- terrain
broader and more formal; 'going' is specific to travel-condition assessment
Grammar Patterns
adjective + going
Usage Note
Most common in sports contexts (horse racing, golf, hiking) and farming. The adjective describes quality: 'good', 'bad', 'soft', 'hard', 'heavy', 'sticky'. A learner will encounter this sense mainly in British sports reporting.
4. the moment when someone departs from a location, a position, or a circumstance,
the moment when someone departs from a location, a position, or a circumstance, often with emotional weight or a sense of finality.
His sudden going left the department without a manager for the final quarter.
possessive + going for departure with consequences
We felt sad at Élise's going, though she had found a wonderful new job.
The going of the last ferry meant the islanders were stuck until morning.
the going of [transport] — scheduled departure
The abrupt going of their lead singer shocked the band and their fans deeply.
- sudden going
- sad going
- unexpected going
- arrival
the opposite act — coming to a place instead of leaving it
Grammar Patterns
possessive + going
Usage Note
Frequently takes a possessive determiner or 'the' + of structure: 'his going', 'the going of the train'. More formal than everyday alternatives like 'leaving' or 'departure'. Common in written narratives and news reports.
Common Mistakes
get going
idiomto begin moving or to depart from a place, especially when you are already late or need to start a journey.
Apinya looked at her watch and said, 'I really must get going or I will miss the train.'
The children took forever to put on their shoes, but finally they got going.
keep going
idiomto continue doing something despite difficulties, tiredness, or the temptation to stop.
Hari was exhausted halfway up the mountain, but his friends encouraged him to keep going.
The business lost money for two years, but the owner decided to keep going.
going concern
idioma business or organization that is operating profitably and is expected to continue doing so in the future.
The bakery was sold as a going concern, so the new owner kept all the staff and recipes.
Investors prefer to buy a going concern rather than start a company from nothing.
going strong
idiomcontinuing to be active, healthy, or successful after a long period of time.
Grandma turned ninety last week and is still going strong, walking to the market every morning.
The band formed in 1998 and is still going strong, selling out concerts around the world.
comings and goings
idiomThe activity of people arriving at and leaving a place.
The hotel manager watched the guests' comings and goings all day.
From her window, Maya could see the comings and goings of the neighbors.
heavy going
idiomSomething that is hard to deal with or understand.
The advanced physics textbook was heavy going for the students.
Is the new software heavy going for you?
When a situation becomes difficult, strong people try even harder to succeed.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going, so keep trying.
My coach always says when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Before a situation changes and makes something impossible to do.
We should leave the party while the going is good.
Diego sold his stocks while the going was good.
going — adjective
1. available for people to use, take, or access — for example, jobs, food, opportun
available for people to use, take, or access — for example, jobs, food, opportunities, or resources that exist at the present time.
Few jobs are going in this small town, so young people often move away.
there is/are + noun + going — available/existing
Is there any pizza going? I skipped lunch and I am starving.
The best scholarship going for art students comes from the City Foundation.
the best + noun + going — available option
There were no vegetarian options going at the barbecue, so Zayd ate only the salad.
- jobs going
- opportunities going
- food going
- best going
- only going
- unavailable
formal; no direct informal antonym exists in this pattern
Grammar Patterns
there is/are + noun + going
the best/only + noun + going
Usage Note
Used post-positively (after the noun) or in existential constructions. Cannot be placed before the noun: ✅ 'the best opportunity going' ❌ 'the going opportunity'. Common in everyday speech about jobs, food, and opportunities.
Common Mistakes
2. describing the standard price, rate, or fee that buyers and sellers accept in th
describing the standard price, rate, or fee that buyers and sellers accept in the current market for a product or service.
What is the going rate for a part-time English tutor in Taipei these days?
going rate — current standard price
The going price for a second-hand bicycle like this one is about three thousand dollars.
Mira checked the going salary for software engineers before she accepted the job offer.
going salary — typical current pay
The going wage for farm workers there barely covers rent and food.
- going rate
- going price
- going salary
- going wage
- going fee
- current
broader, not limited to prices; 'going' specifically implies market consensus
- standard
suggests an agreed norm; 'going rate' is the norm at this moment
- prevailing
more formal; used in legal and business documents
Grammar Patterns
going + noun
Usage Note
Almost always used before a noun indicating money: 'rate', 'price', 'salary', 'wage', 'fee', 'charge'. The pattern 'going rate/price/salary' is very common in job ads, market reports, and informal business talk.
Common Mistakes
3. in a state of active operation, movement, or function — describing a machine, sy
in a state of active operation, movement, or function — describing a machine, system, event, or activity that is currently running or being sustained.
After the power cut, the old generator was still going and kept the lights on.
be going — machine in operation
The party was still going when the neighbours called the police at 2 am.
Joaquín cannot fix the car yet, so he is keeping it going until payday.
keep + noun + going — maintain operation
The old pump in the yard is still going, though it makes a strange noise.
- still going
- keep going
- get going
- stopped
not operating or moving
Grammar Patterns
be going
keep [noun] going
Usage Note
Often appears in the expression 'keep [something] going', meaning to maintain something in working order or to prevent it from stopping. Also common in 'get [something] going' (start it). The sense overlaps with the idiom 'keep going', but here the adjective modifies a specific object.
Common Mistakes
going — suffix
1. used at the end of a word to describe the activity of regularly visiting or atte
used at the end of a word to describe the activity of regularly visiting or attending a particular kind of place, such as a church, school, beach, or theatre.
Nkechi's Sunday churchgoing has been a family tradition since her grandmother's time in their small Nigerian village.
churchgoing — regularly attending church
Nkechi's family has a tradition of theatregoing and sees every new play in town.
Regular beachgoing helps many people in coastal towns stay active and social.
Cinemagoing became popular in the 1930s when ticket prices dropped across the country.
- attendance
more formal; 'going' as a suffix is more neutral and everyday
Grammar Patterns
[place/activity] + going
Usage Note
The -going suffix attaches to a noun naming a place to form a compound: 'churchgoing', 'theatregoing', 'beachgoing', 'schoolgoing'. The resulting noun refers to the habit or practice of attending that place. Not productive for all places — 'cinema-going' is common but 'park-going' is not.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
These four words all relate to how fast something moves or develops, but they differ in focus and grammar. 'Going' (noun/1) is informal and always appears with an adjective: 'slow going', 'good going'. It measures subjective progress through a task rather than objective velocity. 'Pace' is more neutral and can name a consistent speed ('walk at a steady pace') or the rate of change ('the pace of reform'). 'Progress' emphasizes forward movement toward a goal rather than speed as such; you can make progress even when going is slow. 'Speed' is the most general term for rate of motion, but it is rarely used in the 'adjective + noun' pattern that 'going' occupies. 'Rate' is more formal and often involves numbers ('a rate of 50 km/h'). In a sentence: 'The reading was slow going all afternoon, but the student made real progress.' Here, 'going' describes the felt speed, while 'progress' describes the achievement.
Common collocations
Adverbs
- still going
- not going
- barely going
Phrases
- when the going gets tough
- while the going is good
Etymology
'Going' comes from the Old English verb 'gān' (to go, to walk, to depart). The noun form developed in Middle English as a verbal noun (the act of going), and the adjective evolved from the present participle used attributively. The suffix -going (as in 'churchgoing') follows the same participle pattern, treating the destination as the object of the implied verb. The commercial sense ('going rate') emerged in the 19th century, originally from the idea of a price 'current' or 'in circulation'.