Meanings
present singular third person gets on · participle present getting on · past got on · UK participle past got on · US participle past gotten on
- intransitivetransitiveTo board or mount (something), especially a vehicle.
Please get on the bus as quickly as possible.
2 more examples
She has no trouble getting off a bus but has difficulty getting on.
I had to get on a chair to change the light bulb.
Synonyms: board, climb on, embark, get on board, get onto, mount, catch, board
- intransitiveoftenTo progress (with); to move forward.
It's time to get on with improving quality.
2 more examples
We've wasted enough time now. Can we get on, please?
'He must get on, from every point of view,' argued Carrados to pass the seconds. 'Five minutes to fix the rig, ten more to send his message, five to pack up. Heavens! it seems an hour already.'
1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries- intransitiveoftenTo move forward so as to approach a deadline or become late in the day.
The hour is getting on. It'll be dark soon.
1 more example
Time is getting on. We need to hurry up or we'll miss our flight.
- intransitiveusuallyusually in continuous tensesTo approach (a value, level, point in time, etc.) (see also getting on).
She must be getting on for 65 years of age.
3 more examples
The cost was getting on for a thousand pounds.
There were getting on for 40 people last night.
It was getting on towards midnight before I went to bed.
- intransitiveusually in continuous tensesTo become old.
My parents are visibly getting on (in years) these days.
Synonyms: age
- UKintransitiveoftenTo have a good relationship; to get along.
I wish you and I could learn to get on.
2 more examples
“I don't know how you and the ‘head,’ as you call him, will get on, but I do know that if you call my duds a ‘livery’ again there'll be trouble. It's bad enough to go around togged out like a life saver on a drill day, but I can stand that 'cause I'm paid for it. […]”
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLCJohn doesn't get on with Jack. They're always arguing.
Synonyms: get along, understand each other, understand one another
- UKintransitiveTo cope or deal (with).
I can't get on with prunes. They give me indigestion.
- transitiveTo commence (an action).
Go get on to cleaning the floors, the others have already started.
- slangTo have sex; to be sexually promiscuous.
- slangTo do drugs; to get drunk; to buy drugs; to regularly use drugs.
- Expresses surprise or disbelief.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo board or mount (something), especially a vehicle.
verbTo cope or manage (over time); to handle a situation; to perform or make progress.
verbTo become old.
verbTo have a good relationship; to get along.
verbSynonym of have on (“to wear”).
to become late
antonym(s) of “to board a vehicle”
antonym(s) of “to enter a vehicle”
More synonyms by meaning
verbget on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek ἐπιβαίνω, ἐπιβαίνω
- ἐπιβαίνω (epibaínō)to board or mount
- ἐπιβαίνω (epibaínō)to enter (a vehicle)
Arabic رَكِبَ
- رَكِبَ (rakiba)to board or mount
Catalan embarcar, muntar
- embarcarto board or mount
- muntarto board or mount
- embarcarto enter (a vehicle)
- pujarto enter (a vehicle)
- envellirto become old
- dur-se béto have a good relationship
- som-hito commence an action
- progressarto be successful
Chinese Mandarin 上, 上車 /上车
- 上 (shàng)to board or mount
- 上車 /上车 (shàngchē)to board or mount
Czech nastoupit
- nastoupitto enter (a vehicle)
Danish stige på, stige på
- stige påto board or mount
- stige påto enter (a vehicle)
- stå påto enter (a vehicle)
- hoppe påto enter (a vehicle)
Finnish nousta, nousta
- noustato board or mount
- noustato enter (a vehicle)
- tulla vanhaksito become old
- ikääntyäto become old
- vanhetato become old
- tulla toimeento have a good relationship
- aloittaato commence an action
- ruvetato commence an action
- menestyäto be successful
- jatkaato progress (with)
- edistyäto progress (with)
- edetäto progress (with)
French monter, enfourcher
- monterto board or mount
- enfourcherto board or mount
- embarquerto board or mount
- monterto enter (a vehicle)
- embarquerto enter (a vehicle)
- se faire vieuxto become old
German einsteigen
- einsteigento board or mount
Greek ανεβαίνω, μπαίνω
- ανεβαίνω (anevaíno)to board or mount
- μπαίνω (baíno)to enter (a vehicle)
- γερνάω (gernáo)to become old
Italian salire, invecchiare
- salireto board or mount
- invecchiareto become old
Japanese (...に)乗る, (...に)乗っかる
- (...に)乗るto board or mount
- (...に)乗っかるto board or mount
- (...に)乗るto enter (a vehicle)
Korean 타다
- 타다 (tada)to board or mount
Norwegian Bokmål gå på, hoppe på
- gå påto board or mount
- hoppe påto board or mount
- gå påto enter (a vehicle)
- hoppe påto enter (a vehicle)
- eldesto become old
- klare segto be successful
- komme i gangto progress (with)
- gå i gangto progress (with)
- sette i gangto progress (with)
Polish dogadywać się
- dogadywać sięto have a good relationship
Portuguese entrar em, subir em
- entrar emto enter (a vehicle)
- subir emto enter (a vehicle)
- pegarto enter (a vehicle)
Russian сади́ться, сесть
- сади́ться (sadítʹsja)to board or mount
- сесть (sestʹ)to board or mount
- старе́ть (starétʹ)to become old
- соста́риться (sostáritʹsja)to become old
- постаре́ть (postarétʹ)to become old
- ладить (laditʹ)to have a good relationship
- приступать (pristupatʹ)to commence an action
- справляться (spravljatʹsja)to be successful
Spanish montar, cabalgar
- montarto board or mount
- cabalgarto board or mount
- montarto enter (a vehicle)
- envejecerto become old
- entrar en añosto become old
- peinar canasto become old
- llevarse biento have a good relationship
- manos a la obrato commence an action
- tardarto become late
Turkish binmek
- binmekto enter (a vehicle)
Vietnamese lên, lên xe
- lênto board or mount
- lên xeto board or mount
Cite this entry
get on. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20on
“get on.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20on. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “get on,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20on.
Source: get on on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.