go-getting

IPA/ˈɡəʊˌɡet.ɪŋ/
IPA/ˈɡoʊˌɡet̬.ɪŋ/

go-getting — noun

1. the quality of taking active steps to reach what you want, showing energy and de

1.nounB2
Definition

the quality of taking active steps to reach what you want, showing energy and determination rather than waiting for things to happen.

Example

Amir got the promotion because his go-getting impressed every manager on the floor.

his/her + go-getting — the quality belongs to a person

The startup founder told investors that go-getting mattered more to her than a perfect business plan.

Common collocations
  • show go-getting
  • display go-getting
  • lack of go-getting
  • with real go-getting
Synonyms
  • initiative

    more neutral; focuses on starting things independently rather than the aggressive pursuit of goals

  • enterprise

    slightly more formal; often used for business or project contexts

  • drive

    emphasises inner motivation and push, less about visible action-taking

  • hustle

    informal; carries a connotation of speed, graft, and sometimes pushing rules

Antonyms
  • passivity

    waiting for things to happen rather than actively pursuing them

  • lethargy

    lack of energy or enthusiasm for any action at all

Grammar Patterns

show + go-getting

with + go-getting

Usage Note

Distinguish from the adjective go-getting (e.g. 'a go-getting executive'). The noun is uncountable and typically follows a possessive or appears as the object of verbs like show, display, look for, and value.

Common Mistakes

He has a go-getting.
He has go-getting.
The noun is uncountable; never use 'a go-getting.' Use 'a go-getter' for the person.
She is full of go-getting spirit.
She is full of go-getting.
Adding 'spirit' is redundant; go-getting already names the quality.

go-getting — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Initiative is the most neutral of these terms — it focuses on the act of starting something independently, without necessarily implying ambition or sustained energy. Enterprise leans more formal and businesslike, often describing the quality of spotting and seizing commercial opportunities. Drive emphasises inner motivation and sustained push, but it says little about outward, visible action-taking. Hustle is distinctly informal and carries overtones of speed, graft, and sometimes rule-bending. Go-getting sits between initiative and hustle: it implies both the proactive start (like initiative) and the energetic, visible pursuit (like hustle), but without hustle's casual or edgy connotation. For example, you might say a candidate 'showed initiative' by proposing a new system, but you would say they 'showed go-getting' if they then pushed the idea through against resistance.

initiative ↗enterprise ↗drive ↗hustle ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • show go-getting
  • display go-getting
  • full of go-getting

Etymology

English

Formed from the phrase 'go get' + '-ing,' emerging in American English around the 1910s–1920s. The related noun 'go-getter' appeared first, describing a person who aggressively pursues success. The abstract noun 'go-getting' and its adjectival use followed, crystallising the quality itself as a named trait in business and self-help culture.