"go ham" meaning in English

See go ham in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /ɡoʊ ˈhæm/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-go ham.wav Forms: goes ham [present, singular, third-person], going ham [participle, present], went ham [past], gone ham [participle, past], go HAM [alternative], go H.A.M. [alternative]
Rhymes: -æm Etymology: Uncertain; the earliest use of the term in the idiomatic sense appears to be in the 2007 song "Go Ham on 'Em" by Soulja Boy (see quotation below), although isolated usage goes back earlier. "Ham" is often thought to be an acronym of "hard as a motherfucker" (with go ham then parsing as go hard as a motherfucker), although this may be a backronym. Alternatively, it could be a phonetic clipping of mayhem. The term was popularized by the 2011 song "H.A.M." by Jay-Z and Kanye West. Etymology templates: {{unc|en}} Uncertain, {{lg|acronym}} acronym, {{lg|backronym}} backronym, {{clipping|en|mayhem|nocap=1|nocat=1}} clipping of mayhem Head templates: {{en-verb|go<goes,,went,gone> ham}} go ham (third-person singular simple present goes ham, present participle going ham, simple past went ham, past participle gone ham)
  1. (intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often with on) To enter an enraged and uncontrollable state; to go berserk. Tags: intransitive, often, slang, with-on
    Sense id: en-go_ham-en-verb-75wiapW5 Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Anger Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 54 44 2 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 52 45 3 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 54 43 3 Disambiguation of Anger: 82 15 4 Synonyms: flip one's wig, flip out, freak out, get one's freak on, go ballistic, go bananas, go berserk, go bonkers, go crazy, go HAM [African-American-Vernacular-English], go H.A.M. [African-American-Vernacular-English], go ham [African-American-Vernacular-English], go mad, go nuts, go potty, lose it, lose one's marbles, lose one's mind, run amok, take leave of one's senses, Note: All terms are idiomatic unless stated otherwise., blow a fuse, blow a gasket, blow one's stack, blow one's top, crash out, cut up nasty, cut up rough, do one's block [Australia], do one's nut, flip one's lid, flip one's wig, flip out, fly into a rage, fly off the handle, forget oneself, get bent out of shape, get one's back up, get one's dander up, get one's Irish up, get one's shirt out [dated], go ape, go apeshit [vulgar], go ballistic, go bananas, go bitchcakes, go HAM [African-American-Vernacular-English], go H.A.M. [African-American-Vernacular-English], go ham, go off, go postal [US, informal], go spare [Britain], have a cow, have a fit, have kittens, hit the roof, hit the ceiling, lose it, lose one's cool, lose one's marbles, lose one's mind, lose one's rag, lose one's temper, lower the boom, pitch a fit, pop one's cork, see red, shit a brick [vulgar], steam [figuratively], teen [obsolete], throw a fit, throw one's toys out of the pram, vent one's gall, wax wode [obsolete]
  2. (intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often with on) To do something with the maximum possible effort; to go all out. Tags: intransitive, often, slang, with-on Synonyms: full send, put one's whole pussy into
    Sense id: en-go_ham-en-verb-x3iGCR-M Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 54 44 2 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 52 45 3
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see go, ham.
    Sense id: en-go_ham-en-verb-~KwJzVdu

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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  "pos": "verb",
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          "text": "Go ham on em Soulja, go ham on 'em",
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          "ref": "2011 August, Jay-Z and Kanye West, “H•A•M”, Watch the Throne, deluxe edition, Roc-A-Fella Records",
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          "ref": "2014, Makala Thomas, Count Angelo, page 157:",
          "text": "“Clover went in. And she's so calm and gentle normally! I didn't expect her to go ham like that. Will Patricia's arm mend?”\n“Not for a while.”\n“Serves her right. She went ham on me for no reason.”\nAngelo shrugged a shoulder. “She blames you for Marissa's state.”",
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          "ref": "2014, Ms. Michel Moore, Coldhearted & Crazy: Say U Promise I:",
          "text": "In between the guys in the crowd having to be told what was really good and now Ty acting like he owned her and her hustle, she went ham. “Main girl?” Kenya finally had enough of his ass. “Nigga, what? Please don't coach mines. You got me all fucked up in the game. Fall back and don't play yourself!”",
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        "(intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often with on) To enter an enraged and uncontrollable state; to go berserk."
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "flip one's wig"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "flip out"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "freak out"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "get one's freak on"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go ballistic"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go bananas"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go berserk"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go bonkers"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go crazy"
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          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
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          "word": "go HAM"
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          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
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          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
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          "word": "go ham"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go potty"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "lose it"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "lose one's marbles"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "lose one's mind"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "run amok"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "take leave of one's senses"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "Note: All terms are idiomatic unless stated otherwise."
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "blow a fuse"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "blow a gasket"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "blow one's stack"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "blow one's top"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "crash out"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "cut up nasty"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "cut up rough"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "Australia"
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          "word": "do one's block"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "do one's nut"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "flip one's lid"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "flip one's wig"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "flip out"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "fly into a rage"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "fly off the handle"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "forget oneself"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "get bent out of shape"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "get one's back up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "get one's dander up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "get one's Irish up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "dated"
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          "word": "get one's shirt out"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go ape"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "go apeshit"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go ballistic"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go bananas"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go bitchcakes"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "go HAM"
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          "word": "go H.A.M."
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          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go ham"
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            "not idiomatic"
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          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go off"
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          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "US",
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          "word": "go postal"
        },
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          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "go spare"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "have a cow"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "have a fit"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "have kittens"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "hit the roof"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "hit the ceiling"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose it"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's cool"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's marbles"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's mind"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's rag"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's temper"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lower the boom"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "pitch a fit"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "pop one's cork"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "see red"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "shit a brick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "figuratively"
          ],
          "word": "steam"
        },
        {
          "raw_tags": [
            "not idiomatic"
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          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "obsolete"
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          "word": "teen"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "throw a fit"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "throw one's toys out of the pram"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "vent one's gall"
        },
        {
          "raw_tags": [
            "not idiomatic"
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          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "wax wode"
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          "text": "I ordered a couple burgers and just went ham on them.",
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          "ref": "2009 May 16, “Say Damn” (0:42 from the start), in Murder Was the Case, performed by Gucci Mane:",
          "text": "My necklace represent the fact I go ham",
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        },
        {
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          "ref": "2009 June 16, “My Niggaz” (1:52 from the start), in Hustle Till I Die, performed by Juicy J:",
          "text": "Nigga I'm the man, I'm the same with the whips / Your baby mama love me, she go ham on the dick",
          "type": "quote"
        },
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          "ref": "2016 September 14, “Splash & Cash”, MizorMac (lyrics), performed by 67 (R6 x ST) & Harlem (Bis x MizzorMac):",
          "text": "My flats called Harlem darling\nCoz the place full of cats\nFeds go ham",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To do something with the maximum possible effort; to go all out."
      ],
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        "(intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often with on) To do something with the maximum possible effort; to go all out."
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      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "full send"
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        {
          "word": "put one's whole pussy into"
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          "ref": "1933, Ben Hecht, Gene Fowler, The Great Magoo: A Love-sick Charade in Three Acts and Something Like Eight Scenes, Recounting the Didoes of Two Young and Amorous Souls, who Nigh Perished when They Weren't in the Hay Together:",
          "text": "Don't go ham on me. Don't go ham. I'm the whole works, and you know it. I'm just carrying you.",
          "type": "quote"
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          "bold_text_offsets": [
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          "ref": "1977 06, Popular Mechanics, page 109:",
          "text": "One of the best reasons to go ham is the quiet hi-fi sound of radios used in the two-meter ham band.",
          "type": "quote"
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        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
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          "ref": "1996, The Reader's Digest:",
          "text": "Go ham for the holidays! Serve Cure 81® for a special dinner, then try these delicious ways to stretch the extra ham and feed a bunch for brunch, lunch or dinner.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see go, ham."
      ],
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        [
          "go",
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          "ham",
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    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɡoʊ ˈhæm/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æm"
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  "wikipedia": [
    "H.A.M.",
    "Jay-Z",
    "Kanye West",
    "Soulja Boy",
    "Urban Dictionary"
  ],
  "word": "go ham"
}
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      "args": {
        "1": "acronym"
      },
      "expansion": "acronym",
      "name": "lg"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "backronym"
      },
      "expansion": "backronym",
      "name": "lg"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mayhem",
        "nocap": "1",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "clipping of mayhem",
      "name": "clipping"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Uncertain; the earliest use of the term in the idiomatic sense appears to be in the 2007 song \"Go Ham on 'Em\" by Soulja Boy (see quotation below), although isolated usage goes back earlier. \"Ham\" is often thought to be an acronym of \"hard as a motherfucker\" (with go ham then parsing as go hard as a motherfucker), although this may be a backronym. Alternatively, it could be a phonetic clipping of mayhem. The term was popularized by the 2011 song \"H.A.M.\" by Jay-Z and Kanye West.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "goes ham",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "going ham",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "went ham",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gone ham",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "go HAM",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "go H.A.M.",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "go<goes,,went,gone> ham"
      },
      "expansion": "go ham (third-person singular simple present goes ham, present participle going ham, simple past went ham, past participle gone ham)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              47,
              53
            ]
          ],
          "text": "If you use her fabric scissors, she's going to go ham on you.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              6
            ],
            [
              21,
              27
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2007, “Go Ham on 'Em” (0:12 from the start)performed by Soulja Boy:",
          "text": "Go ham on em Soulja, go ham on 'em",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 August, Jay-Z and Kanye West, “H•A•M”, Watch the Throne, deluxe edition, Roc-A-Fella Records",
          "text": "I'm about to go HAM / Hard as a muthafucker, let these niggas know who I am"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              79,
              85
            ],
            [
              166,
              174
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2014, Makala Thomas, Count Angelo, page 157:",
          "text": "“Clover went in. And she's so calm and gentle normally! I didn't expect her to go ham like that. Will Patricia's arm mend?”\n“Not for a while.”\n“Serves her right. She went ham on me for no reason.”\nAngelo shrugged a shoulder. “She blames you for Marissa's state.”",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              128,
              136
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2014, Ms. Michel Moore, Coldhearted & Crazy: Say U Promise I:",
          "text": "In between the guys in the crowd having to be told what was really good and now Ty acting like he owned her and her hustle, she went ham. “Main girl?” Kenya finally had enough of his ass. “Nigga, what? Please don't coach mines. You got me all fucked up in the game. Fall back and don't play yourself!”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To enter an enraged and uncontrollable state; to go berserk."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "on",
          "on"
        ],
        [
          "enraged",
          "enraged#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "uncontrollable",
          "uncontrollable#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "go berserk",
          "go berserk#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often with on) To enter an enraged and uncontrollable state; to go berserk."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "flip one's wig"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "flip out"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "freak out"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "get one's freak on"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go ballistic"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go bananas"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go berserk"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go bonkers"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go crazy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "tags": [
            "African-American-Vernacular-English"
          ],
          "word": "go HAM"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "tags": [
            "African-American-Vernacular-English"
          ],
          "word": "go H.A.M."
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "tags": [
            "African-American-Vernacular-English"
          ],
          "word": "go ham"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go mad"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go nuts"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "go potty"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "lose it"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "lose one's marbles"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "lose one's mind"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "run amok"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:go crazy",
          "word": "take leave of one's senses"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "Note: All terms are idiomatic unless stated otherwise."
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "blow a fuse"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "blow a gasket"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "blow one's stack"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "blow one's top"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "crash out"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "cut up nasty"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "cut up rough"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "Australia"
          ],
          "word": "do one's block"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "do one's nut"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "flip one's lid"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "flip one's wig"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "flip out"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "fly into a rage"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "fly off the handle"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "forget oneself"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "get bent out of shape"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "get one's back up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "get one's dander up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "get one's Irish up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "dated"
          ],
          "word": "get one's shirt out"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go ape"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "go apeshit"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go ballistic"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go bananas"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go bitchcakes"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "African-American-Vernacular-English"
          ],
          "word": "go HAM"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "African-American-Vernacular-English"
          ],
          "word": "go H.A.M."
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go ham"
        },
        {
          "raw_tags": [
            "not idiomatic"
          ],
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "go off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "US",
            "informal"
          ],
          "word": "go postal"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "Britain"
          ],
          "word": "go spare"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "have a cow"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "have a fit"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "have kittens"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "hit the roof"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "hit the ceiling"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose it"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's cool"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's marbles"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's mind"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's rag"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lose one's temper"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "lower the boom"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "pitch a fit"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "pop one's cork"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "see red"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "shit a brick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "figuratively"
          ],
          "word": "steam"
        },
        {
          "raw_tags": [
            "not idiomatic"
          ],
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "teen"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "throw a fit"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "throw one's toys out of the pram"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "word": "vent one's gall"
        },
        {
          "raw_tags": [
            "not idiomatic"
          ],
          "source": "Thesaurus:lose one's temper",
          "tags": [
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "wax wode"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "with-on"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              78,
              84
            ]
          ],
          "text": "My constume last Halloween was pretty lame, but this time I'm really going to go ham.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              36,
              44
            ]
          ],
          "text": "I ordered a couple burgers and just went ham on them.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              33,
              39
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2009 May 16, “Say Damn” (0:42 from the start), in Murder Was the Case, performed by Gucci Mane:",
          "text": "My necklace represent the fact I go ham",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              77,
              83
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2009 June 16, “My Niggaz” (1:52 from the start), in Hustle Till I Die, performed by Juicy J:",
          "text": "Nigga I'm the man, I'm the same with the whips / Your baby mama love me, she go ham on the dick",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              63,
              69
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2016 September 14, “Splash & Cash”, MizorMac (lyrics), performed by 67 (R6 x ST) & Harlem (Bis x MizzorMac):",
          "text": "My flats called Harlem darling\nCoz the place full of cats\nFeds go ham",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To do something with the maximum possible effort; to go all out."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "on",
          "on"
        ],
        [
          "effort",
          "effort#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "go all out",
          "go all out#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often with on) To do something with the maximum possible effort; to go all out."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "full send"
        },
        {
          "word": "put one's whole pussy into"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "with-on"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              6,
              12
            ],
            [
              26,
              32
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1933, Ben Hecht, Gene Fowler, The Great Magoo: A Love-sick Charade in Three Acts and Something Like Eight Scenes, Recounting the Didoes of Two Young and Amorous Souls, who Nigh Perished when They Weren't in the Hay Together:",
          "text": "Don't go ham on me. Don't go ham. I'm the whole works, and you know it. I'm just carrying you.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              27,
              33
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1977 06, Popular Mechanics, page 109:",
          "text": "One of the best reasons to go ham is the quiet hi-fi sound of radios used in the two-meter ham band.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              6
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1996, The Reader's Digest:",
          "text": "Go ham for the holidays! Serve Cure 81® for a special dinner, then try these delicious ways to stretch the extra ham and feed a bunch for brunch, lunch or dinner.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see go, ham."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "go",
          "go#English"
        ],
        [
          "ham",
          "ham#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɡoʊ ˈhæm/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æm"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-go ham.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-go_ham.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-go_ham.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-go_ham.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-go_ham.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "H.A.M.",
    "Jay-Z",
    "Kanye West",
    "Soulja Boy",
    "Urban Dictionary"
  ],
  "word": "go ham"
}

Download raw JSONL data for go ham meaning in English (12.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-07-11 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-07-01 using wiktextract (84cf5d0 and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.