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Meaning & use

gone

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ɡɒn/
US/ɡɔːn/

“gone” is a form of “go”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. adjectivenot comparable

    No longer present, existing, or available; having left or been used up.

    Grammar: Used after linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', or 'be found'; it does not come before a noun in this sense.

    Patterns

    • be gone
    • seem gone
    • be gone from something

    The children were gone when I woke up.

    By the time we arrived, the cake was all gone.

    The pain is gone now, thanks to the medicine.

  2. adjectivenot comparableeuphemistic

    No longer alive; dead (often used politely or in fixed phrases).

    Grammar: A gentle or euphemistic way to say someone has died; usually after 'be'.

    Patterns

    • be gone
    • be gone from this world

    My grandfather has been gone for ten years now.

    She's gone, but we still remember her kindness.

  3. adjectivenot comparableinformal

    Spent or used up, especially of time or money.

    Grammar: Common with time expressions like 'two hours' or 'all my savings'.

    Patterns

    • be gone
    • be gone on something

    Three hours were gone before we knew it.

    All my savings are gone after the trip.

Common combinations

be gone
The guests were gone by midnight.
all gone
The milk is all gone; we need to buy more.
gone missing
The keys have gone missing again.
gone with the wind
His hopes were gone with the wind after the storm.

Synonyms and how they differ

absent
More formal and often used for people not being in a place; 'gone' is more general and can also mean used up.
departed
Formal or literary; usually means left a place, while 'gone' can also mean no longer existing.
vanished
Suggests a sudden or mysterious disappearance; 'gone' is neutral and simply states the result.

Opposites

presenthere

Word family

go verb
To move or travel from one place to another.
going noun
The act of leaving a place; often in 'the going was tough'.
goer noun
A person who goes to a particular place or event, often in combinations like 'party-goer'.

Commonly confused: gone or went?

gone vs went

'Went' is the past tense of 'go' (e.g., 'She went home'), while 'gone' is the past participle and is used with 'have' or as an adjective (e.g., 'She has gone home', 'She is gone').

Practice

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