Definition

Verb (phrasal verb): 1. To begin moving, operating, or traveling; to start a journey or activity. 2. To cause something to start or begin functioning. 3. To begin to be active or busy; to start making progress on something.

Usage and Examples

• To begin moving or a journey:
  • We need to get going if we want to arrive before dark.
  • The car finally got going after we jump-started the battery.
• To start an activity or make progress:
  • It's time to get going on that report; the deadline is tomorrow.
  • Come on, get going with your homework!
• To cause something to start:
  • Can you get the motor going?
  • She knows how to get a party going with her great music.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• The phrase often implies a sense of urgency or the need to overcome initial inertia or delay.
• It can be used both intransitively (e.g., ) and transitively (e.g., ).
• In informal contexts, it is a common and direct way to prompt someone to start or hurry up.

Variants and Related Words

• Get started: A very close synonym, often interchangeable, focusing on the initial commencement.
• Get moving: Emphasizes the physical aspect of beginning to move or act.
• Get cracking: An informal, idiomatic synonym that implies starting something with energy or speed.
• Get underway: A more formal alternative, often used for events, projects, or journeys.

Synonyms

• Begin
• Commence
• Start
• Set off
• Launch

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Get ahead: To make progress, especially in a competitive context.
  • She took extra courses to get ahead in her career.
• Get on with (something): To continue or proceed with an activity, often after an interruption.
  • Stop talking and get on with your work.

Related Idioms

• Get the ball rolling: To start an activity or process.
  • Let's get the ball rolling with a brief introduction.
• Get a move on: An informal idiom urging someone to hurry or start moving faster.
  • Get a move on, or we'll be late!

Verb

1. start to be active
   • Get cracking, please!
2. begin or set in motion
   • I start at eight in the morning
   • Ready, set, go!