You use ago when you are referring to past time. For example, if something happened one year ago, it is one year since it happened. If it happened a long time ago, it is a long time since it happened.
He was killed a few days ago in a skiing accident.
The meeting is the first since the war began 14 years ago.
Harry's daughter is dead. She died long ago.
Synonyms: previously, back, before, since More Synonyms of ago
ago in British English
(əˈɡəʊ)
adverb
in the past
five years ago
long ago
▶ USAGE The use of ago with since (it's ten years ago since he wrote the novel) is redundant and should be avoided: it is ten years since he wrote the novel
Word origin
C14 ago, from Old English āgān to pass away
ago in American English
(əˈgoʊ)
adjective
1.
gone by; past; before now
used following the noun
years ago
adverb
2.
in the past
long ago
Word origin
ME agon, pp. of agon, to depart < OE agan, to pass away < a-, away + gan: see go1
Examples of 'ago' in a sentence
ago
He renewed his membership about two months ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Most people would have given up long ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Of course this was some time ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We lost our mum four years ago and he was very close to her.
The Sun (2016)
It looked like it had happened weeks ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
August seems a very long time ago.
The Sun (2016)
If it were a patient, we would have attended to her long ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
He came back a few weeks ago and now needs to train and games to be the Ayew from last season or two seasons ago.
The Sun (2016)
We came here five years ago and since then only one property has been sold.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We lost each other a long time ago.
The Sun (2016)
It was such a long time ago.
The Sun (2014)
Two years ago they were so high that it all seemed completely impossible.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Would this have happened a decade ago?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
And my uncle gave me a hundred a little while ago.
George Eliot Middlemarch (1872)
This is surprising since decades ago there was no such thing as a church planting conference.
Christianity Today (2000)
He should have gone a long while ago.
The Sun (2015)
And it was also a very long time ago.
The Sun (2015)
Three years ago he turned his back on football.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
What we were told was happening to the economy two or three years ago was not happening.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He knew he had to die some time and had long ago ceased to worry about it.
Patrick Bishop FIGHTER BOYS: Saving Britain 1940 (2003)
What happened with tobacco a few years ago will happen with alcohol.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Foster long ago abandoned the notion that architects should be concerned solely with single buildings.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It was a repeat of the outcome at this championship in Madrid two years ago.
The Sun (2007)
We were first instructed two years ago and have since taken instructions from 22,000 people.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Strictly just seems like a long, long time ago.
The Sun (2013)
That would have been simply unthinkable 30 years ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Relatives of hundreds of Cypriots who went missing in conflict decades ago have since lived in limbo.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Internal negotiations for a transition of power began in Sanaa two weeks ago but with little progress reported.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
A decade or more ago he showed little interest in it as an organisation.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Until two weeks ago I thought it would at least be fun to try.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
All four League members are transplanted northerners who moved to London almost two decades ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Designed almost two decades ago, it is being reissued this year and will be available here in September.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
ago
British English: ago /əˈɡəʊ/ ADVERB
You use ago to talk about a time in the past.
She left two weeks ago.
American English: ago
Arabic: مُنْذُ
Brazilian Portuguese: atrás tempo
Chinese: 以前
Croatian: prije
Czech: přednějakou dobou
Danish: siden
Dutch: geleden
European Spanish: hace
Finnish: sitten
French: il y adurée
German: vor
Greek: πριν από
Italian: fa
Japanese: ･･･前に
Korean: 전에
Norwegian: siden
Polish: (jakiś czas) temu
European Portuguese: atrásTemp
Romanian: în urmă cu
Russian: давно
Latin American Spanish: hace
Swedish: för….sedan
Thai: ที่ผ่านมาแล้ว
Turkish: önce
Ukrainian: томý
Vietnamese: cách đây
Chinese translation of 'ago'
ago
(əˈɡəu)
adv
2 days ago两(兩)天前 (liǎngtiān qián)
long ago/a long time ago很久以前 (hěnjiǔ yǐqián)
how long ago?多久以前？ (duōjiǔ yǐqián?)
as long ago as 1925早在1925年 (zǎo zài yī jiǔ èr wǔ nián)
All related terms of 'ago'
long ago
很久以前 hěn jiǔ yǐqián
2 days ago
两(兩)天前 liǎngtiān qián
a year ago
一年前 yī nián qián
how long ago?
多久以前？ duōjiǔ yǐqián?
a good while ago
很久以前 hěn jiǔ yǐqián
a short time ago
不久以前 bùjiǔ yǐqián
a week ago today
上星期的今天 shàng xīngqī de jīntiān
long ago/a long time ago
很久以前 hěnjiǔ yǐqián
as long ago as 1925
早在1925年 zǎo zài yī jiǔ èr wǔ nián
(adverb)
Definition
in the past
He arrived here a few days ago.
Synonyms
previously
Previously she had no time to work in her own garden.
back
They had a big lottery win a few years back.
before
The war had ended only a month or so before.
since
earlier
For reasons mentioned earlier, I will not be able to attend.
formerly
He had formerly been in the Navy.
Usage note
Although since can be used as a synonym of ago in certain contexts, the use of ago and since together, as in it's ten years ago since he wrote that novel, is redundant. Instead, it would be correct to use it is ten years since he wrote that novel, or it is ten years ago that he wrote that novel.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of back
They had a big lottery win a few years back.
Synonyms
ago,
before,
earlier,
in the past,
previously
in the sense of before
Definition
previously
The war had ended only a month or so before.
Synonyms
previously,
earlier,
sooner,
in advance,
formerly,
B4
in the sense of earlier
For reasons mentioned earlier, I will not be able to attend.