See go ham in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for go ham meaning in English (6.6kB)
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en"
},
"expansion": "Uncertain",
"name": "unc"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "acronym"
},
"expansion": "acronym",
"name": "glink"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "backronym"
},
"expansion": "backronym",
"name": "glink"
},
{
"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). \"Ham\" is often thought to be an acronym of \"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"
]
}
],
"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": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "African-American Vernacular English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "44 41 14",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "55 30 16",
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Anger",
"orig": "en:Anger",
"parents": [
"Emotions",
"Mind",
"Human",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "If you use her fabric scissors, she's going to go ham on you.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To enter an enraged and uncontrollable state; to go berserk."
],
"id": "en-go_ham-en-verb-75wiapW5",
"links": [
[
"on",
"on"
],
[
"enraged",
"enraged#Adjective"
],
[
"uncontrollable",
"uncontrollable#Adjective"
],
[
"go berserk",
"go berserk#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often followed by on) To enter an enraged and uncontrollable state; to go berserk."
],
"raw_tags": [
"followed by on"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "go crazy"
},
{
"word": "lose one's temper"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"often",
"slang"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "African-American Vernacular English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "44 41 14",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "My constume last Halloween was pretty lame, but this time I'm really going to go ham.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "I ordered a couple burgers and just went ham on them.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To do something with the maximum possible effort; to go all out."
],
"id": "en-go_ham-en-verb-x3iGCR-M",
"links": [
[
"on",
"on"
],
[
"effort",
"effort#Noun"
],
[
"go all out",
"go all out#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often followed by on) To do something with the maximum possible effort; to go all out."
],
"raw_tags": [
"followed by on"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "full send"
},
{
"word": "put one's whole pussy into"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"often",
"slang"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "44 41 14",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see go, ham."
],
"id": "en-go_ham-en-verb-~KwJzVdu",
"links": [
[
"go",
"go#English"
],
[
"ham",
"ham#English"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "18 18 64",
"word": "go HAM"
},
{
"_dis1": "18 18 64",
"word": "go H.A.M."
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ɡoʊ ˈhæm/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æm"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"H.A.M.",
"Jay-Z",
"Kanye West",
"Soulja Boy",
"Urban Dictionary"
],
"word": "go ham"
}
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with unknown etymologies",
"English verbs",
"Rhymes:English/æm",
"Rhymes:English/æm/2 syllables",
"en:Anger"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en"
},
"expansion": "Uncertain",
"name": "unc"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "acronym"
},
"expansion": "acronym",
"name": "glink"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "backronym"
},
"expansion": "backronym",
"name": "glink"
},
{
"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). \"Ham\" is often thought to be an acronym of \"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"
]
}
],
"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": [
{
"text": "If you use her fabric scissors, she's going to go ham on you.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
}
],
"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 followed by on) To enter an enraged and uncontrollable state; to go berserk."
],
"raw_tags": [
"followed by on"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "go crazy"
},
{
"word": "lose one's temper"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"often",
"slang"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"African-American Vernacular English",
"English intransitive verbs",
"English slang",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "My constume last Halloween was pretty lame, but this time I'm really going to go ham.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "I ordered a couple burgers and just went ham on them.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
}
],
"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 followed by on) To do something with the maximum possible effort; to go all out."
],
"raw_tags": [
"followed by on"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "full send"
},
{
"word": "put one's whole pussy into"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"often",
"slang"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
},
{
"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": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see go, ham."
],
"links": [
[
"go",
"go#English"
],
[
"ham",
"ham#English"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ɡoʊ ˈhæm/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-æm"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "go HAM"
},
{
"word": "go H.A.M."
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"H.A.M.",
"Jay-Z",
"Kanye West",
"Soulja Boy",
"Urban Dictionary"
],
"word": "go ham"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-09 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (4d5d0bb and edd475d). 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.