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
Four cars full of armed goons arrive at the ranch. Matt Cabral, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025 The goons come around demanding money to not ruin their places of business. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
Crows still have these abilities, so the researchers posit there must be something else going on inside their heads. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025 Báez went on to win a World Series and make the cover of a video game. Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 14 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 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!