goner
UK[ˈɡɒnə]US[ˈɡɔːnər]
n
A person or thing that is dead, ruined, or certain to die or be destroyed.
Morpheme Breakdown
gon
er
gon
gone
er
agent suffix
Etymology
The word 'goner' is a colloquial formation from the early 19th century, built directly on the English word 'gone', the past participle of 'go'. The agent suffix '-er' is attached, but here it denotes not an active doer, but a passive subject in a state of completion. The literal sense is "one who is gone," implying departure from life, hope, or functionality. This evolution from the basic concept of departure ('go') to a state of irreversible loss or doom showcases how informal English creates vivid, fatalistic terms from simple grammatical components.
Analysis
Structure: gon (gone) + er (agent suffix)
'gon' is from the past participle 'gone' of the verb 'go' (Old English 'gān'). 'er' is an agent-forming suffix (Old English '-ere', from Proto-Germanic).
Examples
After the engine failed over the ocean, the pilot knew he was a goner.
Once the company lost its major investor, it was a goner.
Don't bother trying to fix that old phone; it's a goner.