Proceed
verbBase proceed · Past proceeded · Past Participle proceeded · Present Participle proceeding · 3rd person proceeds
Definition
1. (verb) To move on to the next step, stage, or place — to go forward with something in a sequence.
2. (verb) To continue doing something or to go ahead with it.
3. (verb) To then do something — often something unexpected, annoying, or worth highlighting.
2. (verb) To continue doing something or to go ahead with it.
3. (verb) To then do something — often something unexpected, annoying, or worth highlighting.
Context Alive
You're at the airport and your flight has been delayed twice. After three hours of waiting, you finally hear the announcement: "Passengers on flight BA247 may now proceed to gate 14 for boarding." Everyone stands up at the same time, grabs their bags, and walks towards the gate. You've never been so happy to hear the word "proceed" in your life.
Meanings
3 meanings 1 To Move On to the Next Step or Place (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about going forward — moving to the next stage, step, or location in a process or journey. Imagine finishing a written exam and the instructor says: "If you've completed part one, please proceed to part two." This is describing a forward movement within a sequence — one thing is done, now move to the next. You might hear "please proceed to the checkout" in an online shop when you're ready to pay, or someone could say "we'll proceed to the next item on the agenda" in a meeting when one topic is finished. Or think about a cooking show where the chef finishes chopping the vegetables and says: "Now we'll proceed to the sauce." The word suggests an orderly, structured movement from one stage to the next.
✏️ Proceed to is more formal than "go to" or "move on to." You'll hear it in airports, official announcements, meetings, and formal instructions. In everyday speech, people usually just say "go to" or "move on to." But in professional or structured settings, proceed sounds more polished. The noun form is procedure (a set of steps) and proceedings (formal events or legal actions).
2 To Continue or Go Ahead With Something (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about continuing with something or going ahead with a plan or action. Imagine you're in a meeting and someone asks whether the company should launch a new product despite the risks. The CEO thinks for a moment and says: "Let's proceed. The market is ready." This is describing the decision to keep going or to start something that was being considered. You might hear "shall we proceed with the interview?" when someone checks if it's okay to continue, or someone could say "the construction will proceed as planned" meaning nothing has changed and the work will go ahead on schedule. Or think about a doctor explaining the risks of a surgery, and then asking: "Do you still want to proceed?" The word suggests a deliberate, considered decision to move forward.
✏️ Proceed with is the key pattern here — it's followed by what you're continuing: proceed with the plan, proceed with the order, proceed with caution. "How should we proceed?" is a very useful question in professional settings — it means "what's the next step?" or "what should we do now?"
3 To Then Do Something — Often Surprising (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about someone doing something next — often used to highlight an action that's unexpected, ironic, or worth pointing out. Imagine a friend who says they're on a diet, and then proceeds to eat three slices of pizza — you use "proceeded to" to draw attention to the contradiction. This is describing an action that follows something else, usually with a tone of disbelief, humour, or emphasis. You might say "he told me he wasn't angry, then proceeded to shout for ten minutes" to highlight the gap between what someone said and what they did, or someone could say "she proceeded to explain the entire plan in detail" when the explanation was long or impressive. Or think about a child who promises to be careful and then proceeds to knock over a glass of juice within five seconds. The word adds a storytelling quality — "and then this happened."
✏️ This meaning is very popular in casual storytelling and social media. People use it to create contrast or humour: "He said he wasn't hungry, then proceeded to eat the entire fridge." It's a way of saying "and then, believe it or not, they did this." The tone is usually ironic, amused, or slightly exasperated.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
proceed to + noun (place/stage) → to move forward to the next location or step
After security, passengers should proceed to the departure lounge.
proceed to + verb → to then do something — often highlighting the action
He said he wasn't tired, then proceeded to fall asleep on the sofa within minutes.
please proceed to → a polite, formal instruction to move to the next place or stage
Please proceed to counter 5 for your passport check.
Common Structures
proceed to the next + noun → to move on to the following step, question, or topic
Let's proceed to the next item on the agenda.
then proceeded to + verb → used in storytelling to highlight what happened next
She apologised and then proceeded to make the exact same mistake again.
proceed with + noun → to continue doing something — closely related pattern
Shall we proceed with the interview, or do you need a moment?
Collocations
10 collocationsproceed to the gate
to move to the boarding gate at an airport
proceed to checkout
to move to the payment stage in a shop or online
proceed to the next step
to move forward to the following stage in a process
proceed with caution
to move forward carefully and slowly
proceed as planned
to continue with the original plan without changes
proceed to explain
to then explain something — often at length
proceed to ignore
to then ignore something — usually ironic
please proceed
a formal invitation to continue or go ahead
proceed with the meeting
to continue or start the meeting
how to proceed
asking what the next step should be
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
Passengers for the 10:30 train should proceed to platform 4.
If you're taking the 10:30 train, please make your way to platform 4.
2
He said he was fine, then proceeded to cry for twenty minutes.
He claimed he was okay and then burst into tears for twenty minutes straight.
3
Once you've filled in the form, proceed to the next page to upload your documents.
After completing the form, move on to the following page to attach your files.
4
She told me not to worry and then proceeded to list every possible thing that could go wrong.
She said there was nothing to worry about and then went on to describe every disaster scenario imaginable.
5
The judge asked both sides to proceed with their closing arguments.
The judge told both sides to go ahead and deliver their final statements.
6
After the warm-up, we'll proceed to the main exercises.
Once we finish warming up, we'll move on to the core workout.
7
He promised to be quick and then proceeded to talk for forty-five minutes.
He said he'd keep it short and then went on talking for nearly an hour.
8
I'm not sure how to proceed — should we wait for their response or call them?
I don't know what the next step should be — do we wait to hear from them or contact them first?
9
Please proceed to the reception desk to collect your visitor badge.
Please go to the front desk to pick up your visitor pass.
10
The meeting will proceed as planned despite the CEO's absence.
The meeting will go ahead on schedule even though the CEO won't be there.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsmove on to
more casual and everyday — the most natural alternative in speech
go ahead with
informal — focuses on getting permission or starting something
continue to
similar but implies something already in progress, not a new step
Antonymsstop
the simplest opposite — to halt and not move forward
hold off
to delay or wait before taking the next step
go back to
the opposite direction — returning to a previous stage