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

Teasing aside, the pair bathed each other in mutual respect. —Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2025

Set aside an area of the new place to park all your wall art and accessories, creating a sort of gallery. —Marni Jameson, Arkansas Online, 12 Dec. 2025

Noun

Kuiper, once a sure-handed Giants utility infielder, misses the aside, gazing at his script. —Jeremy Collins, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025

If not for the deeply funny asides and anecdotes from the book’s fictional characters, the reader would be left enraged and shaking. —Brian Boone, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025

Preposition

However, Christmas Eve falls on the same day, so the rival choir directors must set aside their differences to collaborate. —Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 13 Dec. 2025

The program does not establish a new visa category or set aside a dedicated number of visas for Gold Card applicants, experts said. —Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 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