1
: a stupid person
2
a
: a man hired to terrorize or eliminate opponents
went on; gone on; going on; goes on
1
2
: to take place : happen
what's going on
3
: to talk especially in an effusive manner
the way people go on about their ancestors—
Hamilton Basso
Hamilton BassoSynonyms
Noun
- airhead
- birdbrain
- blockhead
- bonehead
- bubblehead
- chowderhead
- chucklehead
- clodpoll
- clodpole
- clot [British]
- cluck
- clunk
- cretin
- cuddy [British dialect]
- cuddie
- deadhead
- dim bulb [slang]
- dimwit
- dip
- dodo
- dolt
- donkey
- doofus [slang]
- dope
- dork [slang]
- dullard
- dum-dum
- dumbbell
- dumbhead
- dummkopf
- dummy
- dunce
- dunderhead
- fathead
- gander
- golem
- goof
- half-wit
- hammerhead
- hardhead
- idiot
- ignoramus
- imbecile
- jackass
- know-nothing
- knucklehead
- lamebrain
- loggerhead [chiefly dialect]
- loon
- lump
- lunkhead
- meathead
- mome [archaic]
- moron
- mug [chiefly British]
- mutt
- natural
- nimrod [slang]
- nincompoop
- ninny
- ninnyhammer
- nit [chiefly British]
- nitwit
- noddy
- noodle
- numskull
- numbskull
- oaf
- pinhead
- prat [British]
- ratbag [chiefly Australian]
- saphead
- schlub [slang]
- shlub
- schnook [slang]
- simpleton
- stock
- stupe
- stupid
- thickhead
- turkey
- woodenhead
- yahoo
- yo-yo
Verb
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 WebMatthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
The plot is your standard B-movie fare, as scheming real estate tycoon Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen) sends a horde of goons after Dalton, eager to acquire Frankie’s valuable beachside location.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
Like Patrick Swayze’s original character, Gyllenhaal’s Dalton hesitates when asked to protect a bar from local goons.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024
The origins of those materials in the women’s trunk are teased gradually throughout the movie, which cuts between the road trip and the criminal shenanigans of a sinister character played by Colman Domingo and his goons, played by Joey Slotnick and C.J. Wilson.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Before the show can begin, a new villain emerges named Grape, whose goons, the Sour Bunch, take control of the venue to put on their own show.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
Unfortunately, his past comes back to haunt him when Finney turns out to be deeply in hock to Big Cat, who sends her goons to inflict some physical damage.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Paul’s goon Jeff gave him brass knuckles, and though the referee took them away, Paul capitalized on a low blow and a reverse Paul Crushing Finale.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Led by the sadistic Agent Pamela Harris (Amy Ryan in a disappointing, lackluster performance), who claims Bob has been selling secrets to the enemy, the goons chase our heroes up the Eastern Seaboard.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Thania Garcia, Variety, 10 May 2024
Staff initially went on the hunt for promising companies requiring investments of a minimum $100 million—more money than many young companies wanted or could spend effectively.
—Min Jeong Lee, Fortune Asia, 10 May 2024
Last month, Wiederhorn went on Fox Business channel to talk about California’s minimum wage increase for fast-food workers.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
Like Silver, Pigg went on a kayaking expedition, this one from Beasley Flat to the Horseshoe Reservoir.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
She’s gone on to star in numerous other films, including Charlie’s Angeles, Boys on the Side, The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates, Never Been Kissed, and Grey Gardens, which earned her Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe awards.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
In any case, the 2024 Moto G 5G Stylus goes on sale on May 30th for $399 unlocked.
—Allison Johnson, The Verge, 9 May 2024
Since Cheers ended in 1993, the duo have gone on to have successful film and television careers.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024
In Ridley Scott’s 1991 buddy film, Arkansas friends Thelma (played by Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) go on a road trip to escape their dreary lives.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2024
Noun
Ayatollah Khamenei and his goons look monstrous, craven, inept, and isolated.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
The plot is your standard B-movie fare, as scheming real estate tycoon Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen) sends a horde of goons after Dalton, eager to acquire Frankie’s valuable beachside location.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
Like Patrick Swayze’s original character, Gyllenhaal’s Dalton hesitates when asked to protect a bar from local goons.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024
The origins of those materials in the women’s trunk are teased gradually throughout the movie, which cuts between the road trip and the criminal shenanigans of a sinister character played by Colman Domingo and his goons, played by Joey Slotnick and C.J. Wilson.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Before the show can begin, a new villain emerges named Grape, whose goons, the Sour Bunch, take control of the venue to put on their own show.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
Unfortunately, his past comes back to haunt him when Finney turns out to be deeply in hock to Big Cat, who sends her goons to inflict some physical damage.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Paul’s goon Jeff gave him brass knuckles, and though the referee took them away, Paul capitalized on a low blow and a reverse Paul Crushing Finale.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Led by the sadistic Agent Pamela Harris (Amy Ryan in a disappointing, lackluster performance), who claims Bob has been selling secrets to the enemy, the goons chase our heroes up the Eastern Seaboard.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Verb
Tickets for the tour go on sale to the general public on May 17 at 10 a.m. local time.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 10 May 2024
Staff initially went on the hunt for promising companies requiring investments of a minimum $100 million—more money than many young companies wanted or could spend effectively.
—Min Jeong Lee, Fortune Asia, 10 May 2024
Last month, Wiederhorn went on Fox Business channel to talk about California’s minimum wage increase for fast-food workers.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
Like Silver, Pigg went on a kayaking expedition, this one from Beasley Flat to the Horseshoe Reservoir.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
She’s gone on to star in numerous other films, including Charlie’s Angeles, Boys on the Side, The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates, Never Been Kissed, and Grey Gardens, which earned her Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe awards.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
In any case, the 2024 Moto G 5G Stylus goes on sale on May 30th for $399 unlocked.
—Allison Johnson, The Verge, 9 May 2024
Since Cheers ended in 1993, the duo have gone on to have successful film and television careers.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024
In Ridley Scott’s 1991 buddy film, Arkansas friends Thelma (played by Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) go on a road trip to escape their dreary lives.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'goon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near goon
Cite this Entry
“Goon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goon. Accessed 14 May. 2024.
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