beside

1 of 2

preposition

be·​side bi-ˈsīd How to pronounce beside (audio)
bē-
1
a
: by the side of
walk beside me
a house beside a small lake
b
: in comparison with
potential complications are minor beside the benefits
c
: on a par with
a composition that can be ranked beside that of the masters
2
: not relevant to
but that's beside the point
3
: besides
No one knows beside me.
learning other languages beside French and English

beside

2 of 2

adverb

1
archaic : nearby
2
archaic : besides
Phrases
beside oneself
: in a state of extreme excitement

Examples of beside in a Sentence

Preposition She sat beside him during dinner. The man beside her was wearing a brown suit and hat. They were walking beside me. Stand beside the statue and I'll take your picture. Their house is beside a small lake. These problems seem unimportant beside the potential benefits of the new system.
Recent Examples on the Web
Preposition
The Wall Reserved exclusively for the most devoted Clippers fans, The Wall features 51 consecutive rows near the baseline beside the visitors’ bench. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 Josh covered his mouth with his hand as Abbie appeared to laugh on the floor, rolling beside her 3-year-old daughter, Poppy. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Adverb
In another photo, JAY-Z was photographed capturing Blue Ivy on the field, jumping for joy — while Rumi stood beside watching her big sister. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024 These two n-s that I’ve just been blessed to even stand beside in this game, let alone chase — chase their greatness, right? Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for beside 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beside.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Preposition and Adverb

Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English be sīdan at or to the side, from be at (from ) + sīdan, dative & accusative of sīde side — more at by

First Known Use

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beside was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near beside

Cite this Entry

“Beside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beside. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

beside

preposition
be·​side
bi-ˈsīd
1
a
: by the side of
walk beside me
b
: in comparison with
the kitten looks tiny beside that big dog
2
: besides entry 1
was the only one, beside me, who objected
3
: not relating to
beside the point

More from Merriam-Webster on beside

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