go-ahead
/ˈɡəʊ.ə.hed/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡoʊ.ə.hed/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgō-ə-ˌhed/ (ame, mw) · /ˈɡəʊ əhed/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡəʊ əhed/ (ame, ipa)
go-ahead — noun
1. official approval that lets a planned project, task, or activity begin.
official approval that lets a planned project, task, or activity begin.
The city council finally gave Mert the go-ahead to open his bakery on Maple Street.
give + person + the go-ahead to + verb
Ayesha waited two weeks for the go-ahead from her manager before booking the flights.
wait for the go-ahead from + person
Construction cannot start until the engineers receive the go-ahead from the safety inspector.
After three rounds of testing, the new vaccine got the go-ahead for public use last month.
The director gave the green light, and the crew began filming the chase scene that afternoon.
- green light
informal synonym; almost identical in use
- approval
more formal; covers both starting and ongoing endorsement
- authorization
formal; emphasises official power to grant
- clearance
often used for security or safety checks
文法句型
give/get the go-ahead
the go-ahead for + noun
the go-ahead to + verb
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'the'. Common verbs are 'give', 'get', 'receive', and 'wait for'. Distinguish from sense 2 (energetic spirit), which is not preceded by 'the' and refers to a personal quality.
常見錯誤
2. the personal energy and willingness to try new things or push a project forward.
the personal energy and willingness to try new things or push a project forward.
Min has plenty of go-ahead and turned a small fruit stall into a city-wide chain in six years.
have plenty of go-ahead
What this old company lacks is a leader with real go-ahead and fresh ideas.
lack go-ahead; a leader with go-ahead
Christopher's go-ahead and clear plans persuaded the bank to lend him the start-up money.
Young farmers with go-ahead are switching to organic crops and selling directly to restaurants.
- drive
more common in modern English
- initiative
emphasises starting things without being told
- enterprise
slightly formal; covers boldness in business contexts
- get-up-and-go
informal; near-synonym used in similar contexts
文法句型
have go-ahead
plenty of go-ahead
用法筆記
Uncountable and used without 'the'. Compare with sense 1, which always takes 'the' and refers to permission, not a quality. This sense is now uncommon in everyday speech; many writers prefer 'drive', 'initiative', or 'enterprise'.
常見錯誤
go-ahead — adjective
1. eager to adopt fresh ideas, products, or working methods, and as a result often
eager to adopt fresh ideas, products, or working methods, and as a result often successful.
Tamar runs a go-ahead design studio that hires recent graduates from across Africa.
attributive: a go-ahead + noun (organisation)
The most go-ahead schools in the region have already introduced classes in coding and robotics.
superlative: the most go-ahead + plural noun
Romi joined a small but go-ahead law firm that takes on climate-change cases for free.
Sari's parents are very go-ahead — they sold the family house to start a sailing school in Bali.
- progressive
more formal; widely used in American English
- forward-thinking
neutral; emphasises planning for the future
- innovative
stresses creating new methods or products
- enterprising
emphasises willingness to try bold business ideas
- old-fashioned
preferring traditional methods
- conservative
resistant to change
文法句型
a go-ahead + noun
be go-ahead
用法筆記
Mostly British English; in American English, 'progressive', 'forward-thinking', or 'innovative' are more common. Often used to describe firms, schools, or families that adopt new methods early.
常見錯誤
2. describing a goal, run, or score that pushes a team into the lead during a game.
describing a goal, run, or score that pushes a team into the lead during a game.
Tariro scored the go-ahead goal in the 78th minute, lifting Zimbabwe past Ghana 2-1.
the go-ahead goal — football scoring
Erik hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the ninth, and the crowd jumped to their feet.
the go-ahead home run — baseball
A short pass to Felipe set up the go-ahead touchdown with under a minute left on the clock.
Both teams were tied at 88 when Élise drained the go-ahead three-pointer from the corner.
- winning
broader; can describe the final decisive score
- lead-taking
rare; more descriptive than idiomatic
- equalizing
score that ties the game rather than taking the lead
文法句型
a go-ahead + goal/run/touchdown/score
用法筆記
Attributive only — you can say 'the go-ahead goal' but not 'the goal was go-ahead'. Used almost exclusively in sports reporting, especially in American English for baseball, American football, and basketball.