What Is Gooning? The Very Long, Very Horny Wank That Got a Name

If "gooning" made you think of a silver bag of cheap wine, fair enough. Australia has already done plenty with that word. This time, though, we're talking about masturbation. The wine can sit this one out, although it does share a certain commitment to the long afternoon.

Gooning is slang for getting deeply absorbed in sexual arousal during a long, drawn-out wank, usually by using edging to put off the orgasm. You get right up to it, back off and go again, for as long as you can stand. The point is staying turned on, not getting it over with.

So yes, the internet has given taking your time with yourself its own vocabulary. Here's what people mean by it, where edging fits in and which bits of the online chatter you can safely ignore.

Gooning and edging: what's the difference?

Edging means getting close to orgasm, then easing off or pausing before it happens. Gooning usually describes the longer, absorbed state that people chase through that build-up. One's about delaying the orgasm, and the other's about getting so caught up in being horny that you stop thinking about anything else.

The words overlap, and people use them differently. You can enjoy a little edging without wanting to spend your whole afternoon on it. Our guide to edging looks more closely at delaying orgasm. What gooning adds is that being horny is the bit you want to linger over, and not something you're trying to get out of the way.

What about edging during sex?

Absolutely. Slowing down or stopping just before someone comes is still edging when somebody else is doing it to you, and it's often a lot crueller. It's the delay that gives the technique its name.

Gooning usually refers more specifically to long sessions of masturbation. People use the slang loosely, but a long shag or a delayed orgasm doesn't automatically make it gooning. And masturbation doesn't have to mean being alone. Our guide to mutual masturbation covers doing it side by side, where you can watch each other nearly get there.

If you both like the idea of edging, agree on the teasing first. The person waiting to come should be loving the wait, not wondering why their partner has suddenly developed terrible timing.

Why would you put off an orgasm?

You might usually squeeze a wank in before a shower, somewhere between putting the washing on and remembering you need milk. Perfectly respectable use of a gap in the day.

For someone who loves gooning, the unhurried bit's the whole point. Every time you back off, the next climb starts higher. After an hour of that, your whole body's humming, you're soaked or dripping, and things that wouldn't normally do anything are making your legs shake. The attention's on your body, not on your mental shopping list. Milk can wait. For once, so can you.

If that sounds appealing, you can see why the idea has fans. If it sounds like repeatedly pausing a film just before the good bit, you can see why it isn't for everybody. Nobody needs to make their wank more complicated to impress strangers.

What does a "goon state" actually mean?

People use the phrase for feeling intensely absorbed in arousal, and some describe being zoned out or in a trance. Those are personal descriptions of an experience, not a medical term or a guaranteed result.

You might see exaggerated faces, noises or claims about switching your brain off. You don't need to copy any of that to enjoy yourself. A bedroom's a very silly place to start worrying that you're not pulling the correct face.

The word doesn't promise a bigger orgasm, either. Plenty of people swear by that long, slow build, and it can be absolutely shattering when you finally let it go. Other people would rather finish and get on with their bloody day. Both make sense.

Do you need porn or sex toys?

The term's closely tied to online porn communities, so porn comes up a lot. That doesn't mean you need a screen to enjoy taking your time, or that watching porn automatically makes something gooning. Plenty of people find that their own imagination, and a really good memory, will do just as well.

You don't need a toy, either. If you want one, buy it for a sensation you like. Something you can use on a low setting and hold without getting tired is ideal for a long session. The Satisfyer Men Vibration focuses on the head of your cock, and it's the kind of thing you can keep turning down just before it's too late. Browse our vibrators and masturbators for other options, and remember that somebody else's enormous toy collection doesn't make them better at enjoying their own body.

How long should it go on?

There's no agreed minimum and no reason to chase somebody else's marathon. The word suggests a long session, but the internet can't tell you when your own body's had enough.

Lube's essential here, because you're going to be at it for a while. A silicone one such as Wet Stuff Touch stays slippery for a long time, as long as your hands and skin are the only things involved. Use water-based with silicone toys. Stop if you're sore, numb or uncomfortable, because longer isn't automatically better, and irritated skin is a shit souvenir.

If your lube starts to feel tacky, our guide to why lube gets sticky explains what might be happening.

And if masturbation or porn starts crowding out sleep, work or relationships, or feels hard to control, talk to a qualified health professional. That's about how it's affecting your life, not whether you've used the fashionable word for it.

You can finish whenever you want

Gooning's a preference, not a rulebook. You can enjoy the build-up, and then decide you'd like an orgasm right this minute, thanks. You can also stop without one.

The useful idea is giving yourself room to enjoy being horny without rushing it. Keep that part if you like it. And if somebody online insists your perfectly enjoyable wank doesn't count, let them be wrong. What a fucking odd thing to be competitive about.

More on solo pleasure

Read about enjoying masturbation without an orgasm, or taking the pressure off orgasm.