gone
gone — verb
1. the form of the verb 'go' that you use with 'have', 'has', or 'had' to talk abou
the form of the verb 'go' that you use with 'have', 'has', or 'had' to talk about someone or something that has moved or travelled away from a place, or to describe a completed journey or departure.
Sari has already gone to the post office to pick up the package.
present perfect: has + gone + to [place]
The train had gone by the time Eve reached the station.
past perfect: had + gone
Joon has gone home for the weekend to visit his parents.
When Tariq looked at his watch, the cleaning crew was already gone.
stative be + gone
Élise has gone to the doctor three times this month already.
present perfect with frequency adverbial
- have gone to
- has gone away
- had gone before
- be gone
Grammar Patterns
have/has/had + gone
be + gone (stative)
Usage Note
Commonly used in both present perfect (have/has gone) and past perfect (had gone) constructions. When used with 'be' (is gone, was gone), it functions as a stative adjective describing a state of absence. For completed return trips, use 'have been' instead of 'have gone' (e.g., 'She has been to Paris' means she went and came back).
Common Mistakes
gone — preposition
1. after a particular age, often used to say that someone is older than a certain n
after a particular age, often used to say that someone is older than a certain number of years, or past a particular time, especially when that age or time is considered significant.
Uncle Frank is gone seventy now but still walks five kilometres every morning.
gone + age (British)
It was gone midnight when the last guests finally left the party.
gone + time
Noor laughed and said she was gone forty and too old for such nonsense.
The old man is well gone eighty but still remembers every detail of the war.
well gone + age for emphasis
By the time dinner was ready, it was gone eight o'clock and the children were asleep.
- gone midnight
- gone forty
- gone seventy
- well gone
- under
indicates younger than or earlier than
Grammar Patterns
gone + number/age/time
be + gone + number
Usage Note
Primarily British English; North American speakers more commonly use 'past' (e.g., 'He's past sixty', 'It was past midnight'). Subject is almost always a person's age or a clock time. 'Well gone' adds emphasis to the lateness or advanced age.
Common Mistakes
gone — adjective
1. no longer in a place, or no longer available because it has been used up, taken
no longer in a place, or no longer available because it has been used up, taken away, lost, or destroyed — so that nothing of it remains.
When Rachel came back from the bathroom, her coffee was gone and someone had taken her coat.
gone meaning taken/disappeared
The bread is all gone — Tariro finished the last slice this morning.
all gone = completely used up
By the time Sana reached the shop, all the discounted winter coats were gone.
The old maple tree in our backyard is gone — the storm knocked it down last night.
gone = destroyed
His chance to apologise was gone the moment he slammed the door and drove away.
- all gone
- long gone
- gone forever
- gone for good
Grammar Patterns
be + gone
all gone
Usage Note
Always used after a linking verb (be, seem, appear) — never placed before a noun. 'All gone' is a common fixed phrase meaning completely used up or finished. Distinguish from sense 4 (AWAY), where the person/thing is temporarily absent but still exists.
Common Mistakes
2. no longer alive; having died — often used as a gentler way of saying that someon
no longer alive; having died — often used as a gentler way of saying that someone has passed away.
Abigail's grandmother is gone now, but she still keeps her recipe box on the kitchen counter.
gone = died, euphemistic use
The old dog was suffering so much that the family agreed it was better to let him be gone.
His father has been gone for ten years, but Eli still visits the grave every spring.
has been gone for [duration] = has been dead for
When people say someone is gone, they sometimes mean the person has died peacefully in old age.
The singer was already long gone before the news of her illness reached the public.
long gone = dead for a long time
- long gone
- been gone for
- gone now
- dead
direct and factual; not euphemistic
- passed away
formal, respectful euphemism
- departed
formal, literary euphemism
- alive
living, still with us
Grammar Patterns
be + gone
be + long + gone
Usage Note
A euphemism often used in polite, gentle, or emotionally sensitive conversation. 'Long gone' means someone has been dead for many years. This sense overlaps with sense 1 (no longer present), so context is essential — when the subject is a living being, 'gone' often implies death rather than mere absence.
3. pregnant for a particular length of time — used to say how many weeks or months
pregnant for a particular length of time — used to say how many weeks or months a person has been carrying a baby.
Heloísa is six months gone and has already bought the baby cot and a pile of tiny clothes.
[number] + months + gone = months pregnant
The midwife said that at seven months gone, Sari should start resting more during the day.
By the time Eve was eight months gone, she could barely tie her own shoes.
Rachel could not believe she was already five months gone — the time had flown by so quickly.
At three months gone, the morning sickness finally began to fade for Noor.
- months gone
- far gone
- weeks gone
- pregnant
standard, neutral term; can be used in all registers
- expecting
informal, positive; 'expecting a baby'
- with child
old-fashioned or literary
Grammar Patterns
be + [number] + [time-unit] + gone
be + far + gone
Usage Note
Always preceded by a duration (e.g., 'three months gone', 'seven months gone'). 'Far gone' in this context means late in the pregnancy. Primarily British usage; North American speakers prefer 'months pregnant'. Typically used in third-person or first-person statements about female subjects.
Common Mistakes
4. not present in a place because someone has left for a short or long period — awa
not present in a place because someone has left for a short or long period — away from home, work, or a usual location.
Abigail will be gone for the whole week while she attends a conference in Tokyo.
be gone for [duration]
The neighbours are gone on holiday to Bali and asked us to water their plants.
Tariq knocked on the door but nobody answered — everyone was gone.
gone = not at home
The office is closed today because the entire staff is gone for the company retreat.
When the soldiers returned, every family in the village was gone and the houses stood empty.
gone = evacuated / fled
- gone for
- gone to
- gone on holiday
- gone away
Grammar Patterns
be + gone
be + gone + for [duration]
be + gone + to [place]
Usage Note
This sense focuses on temporary absence — the person or group is expected to return. Contrast with sense 1 (NO LONGER PRESENT), where the item is permanently gone. 'Gone for [duration]' specifies how long the absence will last. Use 'away' as a synonym in American English.
Common Mistakes
5. describes something that belongs entirely to the past — an era that has ended, a
describes something that belongs entirely to the past — an era that has ended, a custom no longer followed, or a chance that cannot be taken again.
The days of handwritten letters are gone — most people just send emails or text messages now.
the days of [X] are gone = era has passed
That feeling of summer freedom is gone now that September has arrived and school is starting.
The era when a single income could support a whole family is long gone in this city.
long gone = ended a long time ago
The old traditions of the village are gone, replaced by modern shops and online culture.
The opportunity to buy that house at that price is gone — the market has risen sharply since then.
opportunity is gone = no longer available
- long gone
- are gone
- days are gone
- era is gone
Grammar Patterns
be + gone
be + long + gone (for situations)
Usage Note
This sense describes eras, customs, opportunities, or feelings that have permanently ended — not temporary absence. 'Long gone' emphasises that something ended far in the past. Frequently used with abstract subjects (era, days, feeling, chance, opportunity). Distinguish from sense 1 (NO LONGER PRESENT), where a physical item has been used up.
gone with the wind
idiomcompletely disappeared or lost, as if carried away by the wind; used to describe something that has vanished permanently.
All our plans for a beach holiday are gone with the wind now that Eva's brother has been hospitalised.
gone to pot
idiomto have become ruined, deteriorated, or in a much worse condition than before.
The old neighbourhood park has really gone to pot since the city stopped maintaining it.
gone south
idiomto have failed, gone wrong, or produced an unfavourable result.
The business deal went south when the investor suddenly pulled out at the last minute.
far gone
idiomin an advanced state, especially of something negative such as decay, illness, drunkenness, or a difficult situation.
By the time the doctor saw him, the infection was already too far gone to treat with antibiotics.
a phrase used to remember someone who has died or something that no longer exists, meaning the person or thing is no longer present but is still remembered fondly.
The old cinema on Elm Street was demolished last year — gone but not forgotten by the townspeople.
be dead and gone
idiomNo longer alive and in the past.
When I am dead and gone, my children will inherit this house.
Do you think people will remember us when we are dead and gone?
going, going, gone
idiomSaid by an auctioneer to indicate that an item has been sold.
The auctioneer shouted "Going, going, gone!" and the painting was sold.
After a brief pause, the auctioneer declared "Going, going, gone!" to the antique vase.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
'Gone' (NO LONGER PRESENT) is the most general word for something that is no longer in its expected place or state. 'Finished' focuses on completion — a task is finished, a resource is finished — and carries a sense of finality. 'Used up' is more specific and concrete: it applies to countable resources like food, money, or fuel that have been consumed entirely. 'Missing' differs in that it suggests the item might still exist but cannot be located (e.g., 'The keys are missing from the drawer'), whereas 'gone' implies the item is truly absent. 'Vanished' is more dramatic and sudden, describing disappearance that happens quickly or mysteriously. For example: 'The cookies are all gone' (none left); 'The milk is used up' (container is empty); 'The cat has vanished' (disappeared without explanation).
Common collocations
Etymology
'Gone' is the past participle of the verb 'go', which traces back to Old English 'gān' (to go, to walk, to depart). The past participle form 'gone' (Old English 'gān' → 'gān' + participle suffix '-en') emerged in early Middle English. Over centuries, the participle developed independent adjective uses — first describing someone who had physically departed, then expanding to cover anything that was used up, dead, or belonging to the past. The preposition use ('gone midnight') arose in British English in the 18th century, based on the idea of time having 'gone past' a certain point.