Suffix · forms adjectives
Describes a direction, an ongoing activity, or a habit: easygoing (relaxed, easy to get along with) and outgoing (sociable, extroverted).
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
-going creates compound adjectives and nouns with several related meanings: movement in a direction (outgoing, ongoing), regular attendance or participation (churchgoing, theatergoing), and suitability for a context (easygoing, seagoing). The suffix appears in everyday words (outgoing, easygoing) as well as in more formal or technical compounds (seagoing, thoroughgoing). Its flexibility makes it one of the more versatile compound elements in English.
Adjective, prefix, or noun + going.
This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.
-going
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"Easygoing" is increasingly written as one word in American English. "Outgoing" and "ongoing" are always written as one word. "Seagoing" and "thoroughgoing" are always one word. When in doubt with less common compounds, add a hyphen.
"Outgoing" means both (1) socially confident and friendly ("she is very outgoing") and (2) leaving a position or role ("the outgoing president"). Context will almost always make the meaning clear, but be aware of both when reading.
A trick to remember it
"-going" shifts meaning depending on what comes before it, so always check the context: easy-going, on-going, out-going (goes outward = sociable).
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The ongoing investigation requires patience from everyone involved." What does "ongoing" mean?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
The suffix -going describes a direction, an ongoing activity, or a habit: easygoing (relaxed, easy to get along with) and outgoing (sociable, extroverted). In Spanish it usually maps to que va / asiduo a / apto para.
"easy" becomes "easygoing". It is a typical example of the -going suffix.
From the past participle of "bind": forms adjectives meaning "confined by," "heading toward," or "obligated by." Spellbound, earthbound, homebound, hidebound, snowbound, inbound.
Turns a direction word into a direction adverb/adjective: inward, outward, forward. Works with almost any direction word, it is productive.
Turns a word into an adverb of manner or direction: otherwise, likewise, clockwise. It is also used freely today to mean "in terms of X": money-wise, career-wise, weather-wise.
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.