- used in expressions of time with the simple past tense to show how far in the past something happened
- two weeks/months/years ago
- The letter came a few days ago.
- She was here just a minute ago.
- a short/long time ago
- How long ago did you buy it?
- It was on TV not (so) long ago.
- Scientists think there was water on Mars a long time ago.
- He stopped working some time ago (= quite a long time ago).
- They're getting married? It's not that long ago (= it's only a short time ago) that they met!
Word OriginMiddle English ago, agone, past participle of the obsolete verb ago ‘pass’, used to express passage of time.Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
ago