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Glite Dictionary
no-go area

no-go area

1 7.5
A place people are afraid to enter or are not allowed to enter because it is dangerous
  • noun
  • /noʊ ɡoʊ ˈɛəriə/
  • Literature
translation icon : zona prohibida
  • Today, the northern half of Mali is now a virtual no-go area for journalists and humanitarian workers.
  • become a no-go area

The police were terrified to come in and it became a no go area, you understand, Became a no go area.

Examples

  • Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, and other cities that were once no-go areas are now safe and bustling at all hours.

    Academic text (2011)

  • There are several well-known no-go areas around here, and every so often, another street is absorbed into them.

    Blog text (21)

  • Now, this is a no-go area.

    Rollin' with the Nines (2006)

  • The King's Road, she had discovered, was a real no-go area.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • There is little neighborly contact, and more and more public spaces have become no-go areas.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Right now, Jonathan was edging his way down a black corridor, one of the school's no-go areas.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The northern half of Mali is now a virtual no-go area for journalists and humanitarian workers due to ongoing conflict.

  • Timbuktu and Northern Mali remain a no-go area because of the dangerous conditions for travelers.

  • There are several well-known no-go areas around the city where police advise against entering after dark.

Synonyms

danger zone
vsno-go area
13 3.8

An area or situation where people are likely to be hurt

is often legally prohibited or declared off limits rather than only risky
demilitarized zone
vsno-go area
  • Formal
8 4.8

An area where armies and weapons cannot go between two countries

is forbidden to all people by danger or law rather than only to forces
black zone
vsno-go area
1 7.9

An area that is dangerous because many crimes happen there

is often legally or officially banned from entry rather than only risky
no-no spot
vsno-go area
  • Informal
9.6

A place where something is not allowed

is a legal or danger based ban on entering rather than an informal rule

Antonyms

accessible
280 3.9

A place, thing, or service that you can reach and use easily

How Dangerous

black zone
1 7.9
no-go area
  • Literature
1 7.5
danger zone
13 3.8
hazard
154 3.4

Surface Forms

no-go area singular
no-go areas plural

Morphology

no-go + area

The meaning of 'no-go area' is directly built from 'no-go' (not suitable or allowed to proceed/enter) plus 'area' (a region), so a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer it denotes a place one should not go or that is off-limits/dangerous. This negation+noun compositional pattern is common across languages and follows standard English word-formation, making it transparently understandable at B1.

Etymology

No-go area comes from the image of a sign at an entrance that says no go, telling people not to enter. That's why it means a place that is 'too dangerous' or 'forbidden' to go into.