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goner

/ˈgɔnər/
/ˈgɒnə/
IPA guide

Other forms: goners

A goner is someone or something that can't be saved — it's lost, or doomed. When you know your video game character is about to die, it's clear she's a goner.

The informal goner is great for describing a person who's desperate or ill-fated. If you narrowly avoid a bad car accident, you might say, "I thought I was a goner," and if your cat catches a small bird, you can be fairly certain it's a goner. Goner is a colloquial American word that stems from the earlier terms "gone goose" and "gone coon," which have the same meaning.

Definitions of goner
  1. noun
    a person in desperate straits; someone doomed
    “I'm a goner if this plan doesn't work”
    synonyms: toast
    see moresee less
    type of:
    desperate
    a person who is frightened and in need of help
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