To manage or exist without having something, often implying sacrifice or deprivation.
To live or manage without something you need or would like to have.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To manage or live without something essential or desired, often due to necessity.
"During the war, many families went without heating or proper food."
They went without so that their children could have more.
— Common formulation in journalism covering poverty; widely used across publications including The Guardian and BBC News.
To choose not to have something; to go without something voluntarily.
"If there isn't enough for everyone, I'm happy to go without."
To go or proceed while lacking something.
To live or manage without something you need or would like to have.
Can be used with or without an object ('go without food' vs. 'we'll just have to go without'). The phrase 'it goes without saying' is a completely separate fixed expression meaning something is obvious. Often implies hardship or sacrifice.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "go without" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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