View synonyms for

beside

[ bih-sahyd ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

preposition

by or at the side of; near:
Sit down beside me.
compared with:
Beside him other writers seem amateurish.
apart from; not connected with:
beside the point; beside the question.
besides ( defs 4, 5 ).

adverb

along the side of something:
The family rode in the carriage, and the dog ran along beside.
besides ( def 2 ).

beside

/ ��ɪˈ��ɪ�� /

preposition

next to; at, by, or to the side of
as compared with
away from; wide of
beside the point
archaic.
besides
beside oneself
postpositiveoften foll bywith overwhelmed; overwrought
beside oneself with grief

adverb

at, by, to, or along the side of something or someone

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Confusables Note

For the prepositional meanings “over and above, in addition to” and “except” besides is preferred, especially in edited writing: Besides these honors he received a sum of money. We heard no other sound besides the breaking surf. However, beside sometimes occurs with these meanings as well.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of beside¹

before 1000; Middle English; earlier bi-siden, Old English bī sīdan, be sīdan; be-, side ¹

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Word History and Origins

Origin of beside¹

Old English be sīdan ; see by , side

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

beside oneself, almost out of one's senses from a strong emotion, as from joy, delight, anger, fear, or grief:
He was beside himself with rage when the train left without him.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Packed in my picnic basket beside my chair, Banana Cake joined me while watching sunsets on some of the most beautiful, sugar white, talcum powder soft beaches in the world.

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A 40-ton gray whale surfaced beside me — spy-hopping, they call it — her towering grace lifting from the water, close enough that I could see the walnut shine of her left eye.

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He slept upright in a cracked vinyl chair beside my hospital bed for days, leaving only to grab dinner when my brother came to sit with me.

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With his father sat beside him, he refused to bite back and felt "no pressure" in a bid to extend his 23-fight unbeaten record.

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It means that a student might one day sit beside someone who believes their family should not exist—and still be expected to learn.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Besht beside oneself

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