Gooning – Meaning, Origin & Usage

When “gooning” is referred to, you can be forgiven for Googling “What is gooning”, or “what does gooning mean” or simply “gooning meaning”. In this article we’re going to unpack it all. First we will explain why “gooning” means different things to different people, and go into the origin story of each. It’s important to explain both, so that when you hear or see it in use you can ascertain which meaning is being used then.

We will also explain which meaning is the newer one, and why the most well accepted meaning of the term isn’t necessarily the truest one. We will then move onto usage of the term, which is predominantly seen online and in certain circles, for example among the LGBTQ+ communities.

Then we will delve into usage of the term, including when best to use and best not to use it, as well as explaining other lesser known words that may appear in conversations about gooning. Finally, we will then round off with a discussion on alternative ways of saying gooning, and when and why you might prefer to use them.

Let’s get down to business.

What does “gooning” mean in slang?

The word “goon” has existed for quite some time as slang for a clumsy or foolish person, however this is a long way from its more current meaning. However, today, the word “gooning” is most typically used to refer to a male masturbation technique which involves continually bringing oneself to the brink of sexual climax without actually reaching it. Read on to find out more.

What’s the origin of the slang word “gooning”?

Since the early 1900s, the word “goon” has appeared in print to refer to anything from a clumsy bird to a simpleton. The term then gained popularity with this meaning through comics such as Popeye with its dim-witted character “Alice the Goon” through to the comedy show known as “The Goon Show”. Thus, for the boomer generation and older, “gooning” was considered to be synonymous with foolishness and stupidity.

That all changed by the early 2010s however. By the year 2012, the term “gooning” had entered the online Urban Dictionary with an entirely different meaning, having been associated with prolonged solo edging sessions. For those of you who don’t already know, edging is a technique in which a person brings themselves as close as they can to a sexual climax, then stops, and then keeps repeating this.

A key difference between the practice of edging and the practice of gooning, is that edging can be done with one or more sexual partners while gooning is always a solitary activity, even if there are aids such as photos, videos, or toys present to bring the individual closer to climax. For the most part, gooning is a male phenomenon, and accusations of goonerhood are typically leveled at men.

While the word “gooning” is most frequently used to refer to prolonged male masturbation, there are those who will argue that this is not true “gooning”. Instead, they argue that “gooning” is a trance-like state achieved by men following a prolonged edging session. It has also been said that this is referred to as “gooning” because at the point of this trance-like state the man effectively looks like a “goon” or more specifically, spaced-out and foolish.

When and where to use, or not to use the word “gooning”

Avoid using the word “gooning” in polite company. Instead save it for occasions where you know the discussion will be accepted, such as in an anonymous online community where you will not be identifiable.

That said however, since “gooning” can have multiple meanings, you may overhear someone use words such as “goon” and “gooner” when they mean something completely different from its most widely understood meanings.

For instance, people from the boomer generation and generation X may still see the word “goon” as a description of a foolish person, especially if they are unfamiliar with the slang of generation Z.

It’s also important to note at this point that in the UK, the word “gooner” is also used to refer to supporters of the soccer team Arsenal Football Club. Which means that if you hear someone say “She is a gooner” what they are saying is that someone is a fan of the Arsenal football team in the UK.

How to use the slang word “gooning” - featuring examples

Top tip - please read the previous section of this article before reading this one.

Here are some examples of the word in use:

• I spent all Sunday morning gooning.
• I need to get some poppers for a gooning session.
• Time to go to the goon cave for a gooning session.
• I need some fresh ammo for a gooning session.
• I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m off gooning.
• Sex is good but it’s not gooning.
• I’ve not seen him. He’s probably off gooning somewhere.
• Gooning and drinking were my only hobbies in my early 20s.
• Maybe if I try gooning I’ll work out what my sexuality is.
• Right, got my poppers, got my porn, going gooning. See you tomorrow.
• Can’t wait to go gooning in my cave tonight.
• A marathon porno session for me tonight I think. I live for gooning.
• I don’t need a partner. I can be a gooner.
• Being an incel isn’t so bad. You can be a gooner every day. No one can stop you.
• Need to get on TOR and the dark web for some ammo for my gooning session this weekend.
• Stop gooning all the time. You’re nothing but a chronic masturbator and you’re doing nothing with your life.

Frequently accompanying words and what they mean

Here are definitions of some other words that are associated with gooning.

Edging

Edging is the practice of bringing yourself or others to the brink of sexual climax, then allowing the feeling to fade a little before doing it again, over and over. Which technique/s someone might use for this depend on who it is they are doing the technique/s on and what that person likes.

Baiting

“Baiting” is simply a shortened form of the word “masturbating”. Masturbating refers to solo sexual pleasuring.

Gooner

A gooner is someone who likes to spend a lot of their time masturbating and/or gooning.

Goonerhood

Goonerhood is a period in a man’s life when they spend a lot of time masturbating and/or gooning.

Goon cave

A goon cave is a place where a man goes for privacy in order to masturbate or to achieve the trance-like gooner state from prolonged edging masturbation.

What are some other ways of saying “gooning”?

There are several words and phrases that can be used synonymously with the word “gooning”. We have mentioned several already, but they bear repeating here. Here are some examples:

• Masturbating
• Edging
• Solo-edging
• Getting spaced out
• Going to my/his goon cave
• Taking poppers
• Gooning out
• Enjoying my goonerhood

FAQs

What is a “goon cave”?

As you may imagine, a goon cave is simply a place where a man may go to practice gooning. A goon cave may feature an array of aids to assist with the gooning process, including soft or hard pornography, whether in the form of magazines, photos, video footage, lubricant, poppers, and more.

Are there female gooners?

While, traditionally, gooning is seen as a male phenomenon, it could be possible that there are exceptions. Masturbation and edging is common among both straight women and the LGBTQ+ community, but online discussions of gooning typically only refer to male appendages.

Are drugs necessary to achieve the full gooning effect?

While the practice of solo sexual edging can easily be done without any special aids such as drugs, it may be the case that the trance-like state that is the aim of the practice may be at least in part due to aids such as poppers, or in more extreme cases crystal meth. Since many of the people who go online to describe this trance-like state also seem to admit to using drugs as part of their experience.

Final word

So to sum up, the word “gooning” can mean different things in different contexts, depending on who is saying it and so on. The word is most often used to refer to the sexual practice of edging, whereby someone’s sexual arousal is built up and up without necessarily reaching orgasm.

However, there are those who disagree with this definition and instead refer to it as the trance-like meditative state someone might go into having carried out sexual edging for a prolonged period of time. This is often accompanied with using psychoactive drugs such as poppers or crystal meth.

What this means is that you should restrict your usage of the word, and any other words frequently associated with it, to people who will understand and accept whatever it is you want to say about it. Save it for informal chats and refrain from using it in polite company.