don't go there
6
9.5
- idiom
- Informal
- When discussing sensitive topics, it's best to say, "Please don't go there during the meeting."
- just don't go there
Examples
-
If you want to avoid an argument, I'd suggest you don't go there with her.
-
Trust me, you don't go there if you value your friendship.
-
Whenever someone brings up his ex-girlfriend, he immediately says, "Don't go there."
-
Please don't go there now!
-
Seriously, don't go there with that topic!
-
She looked at him and said, "I know you want to talk about the breakup, but don't go there right now."
-
Her friend warned her, "Don't go there, it's a touchy subject for him."
Synonyms
570
2.3
Avoid going near people or places for safety
142
5.8
A private matter that does not concern you
59
5.8
Tell someone not to ask about or get involved in other people's lives
42
8.6
Warn someone not to mention a topic because they talk a lot and get upset
7
8.2
Keep quiet about a secret
To not ask about or get involved in someone's private matters
Antonyms
How Sensitive
- Informal
6
9.5
1
3.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal constituents ('don't' = prohibition, 'go' = move, 'there' = that place) transparently signal a prohibition, but the conventional meaning warning someone not to mention a sensitive subject relies on a metaphorical mapping from physical location to topical territory. This pragmatic/metaphorical shift is not fully predictable from the words alone, so learners may recognize a prohibition but not reliably infer the specific 'don't bring that up' sense without prior exposure.
Etymology
Don't go there comes from the image of someone pointing to a dangerous place and saying 'don't go there' to stop you from entering it. That's why we now use don't go there to warn someone not to 'talk about' a sensitive subject because it will cause trouble.