aside

1 of 3

adverb

ə-ˈsīd 

1

: to or toward the side

stepped aside

2

: away from others or into privacy

pulled him aside

3

: out of the way especially for future use : away

putting aside savings

4

: away from one's thought or consideration

All kidding aside, we really need to get busy.

aside

2 of 3

noun

1

: an utterance not meant to be heard by someone

especially : an actor's speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters

2

: a comment or discussion that does not relate directly to the main subject being discussed : digression

He frequently interrupted his narrative with amusing asides.

aside

3 of 3

preposition

obsolete

: beyond, past

Synonyms of aside

Noun

• tangent

Examples of aside in a Sentence

Adverb

He stepped aside and let her pass.

He threw his coat aside.

She laid the book aside.

He elbowed people aside as he moved through the crowd.

He took her aside to speak to her privately.

Someone grabbed him and pulled him aside.

Noun

She made a joke about the food in a muttered aside to her husband.

The book includes several lengthy asides about the personal lives of scientists involved in the project.

In his speech he mentioned her contributions almost as an aside, despite the fact that she was the one who came up with the idea originally.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Soucy was awarded a penalty shot after Cal Ritchie slashed him on a breakaway, but Rittich turned aside the attempt in the third period. —CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025

Scoop out onions and garlic using a slotted spoon, place them on a small plate, and set aside. —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Dec. 2025

Noun

The goal of those short asides and carefully seeded comments is to allow Nanjiani to outline a self-portrait. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025

While there were quirky moments and asides — about holiday music, a hoagie and more — the point of the hearing was to help the judge assess whether Mangione voluntarily spoke to police and whether the officers were justified in searching his property before getting a warrant. —Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025

Preposition

As a result, Brill says, his company sets aside a large reserve fund in case the IRS comes after them. —Bill Chappell, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025

Setting aside the discussion of whether or not Die Hard counts as a Christmas movie, don't miss the pulse-pounding book that inspired it. —Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

see side entry 1

Noun

see side entry 1

Preposition

see side entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1592, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing aside

• aside from
• brush aside
• cast aside
• joking aside
• lay aside
• pull aside
• push aside
• put aside
• set aside
• stand aside
• step aside
• sweep aside
• take (someone) aside
• wave aside

Rhymes for aside

• abide
• allied
• applied
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied
• beside

Kids Definition

aside

1 of 2 adverb

ə-ˈsīd 

1

: to or toward the side

stepped aside

2

: out of the way especially for future use : away

put money aside for school

3

: away from one's thought or consideration

all kidding aside

aside

2 of 2 noun

: words meant not to be heard by someone

especially : an actor's words supposedly not heard by others on the stage