Goner Is Built From the Verb Go
A goner is someone or something beyond saving. The word is a straightforward noun built on the past participle gone.
A goner is a person or thing that is doomed or beyond help. It is built directly from *gone* plus the agent suffix *-er*, and English forms informal nouns this way freely: a *loner*, a *downer*, a *keeper*, a *no-hoper*. The suffix normally attaches to verbs, so building it on a past participle is what marks *goner* as colloquial. It is recorded in American English from the 1840s.
- Someone doomed. *He's a goner.*
- Beyond repair. *The engine's a goner.*
- Loner — the same suffix pattern. *A loner.*
- Keeper — worth keeping. *That one's a keeper.*
- Gone — the participle behind it. *Long gone.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | goner | A goner. |
| Plural | goners | All goners. |
| Verb | go | To go. |
| Participle | gone | Has gone. |
| Related | loner | A loner. |
- Without the transplant he was a goner.Doomed.
- The washing machine is a goner.Broken.
- It dates from 1840s America.History.
Informal -er nouns
- Goner — beyond saving
- Loner — someone who prefers solitude
- Keeper — something worth keeping
- Downer — something depressing
- No-hoper — someone with no chance
American English, recorded from the 1840s, formed from *gone* plus *-er*.
Is goner formal English?
No. It is informal in every use, though widely understood.
Can objects be goners?
Yes. A broken machine beyond repair is commonly called a goner.