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.

see also:

stand aside

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

Cost and contract logistics aside, the mere size of Starship poses significant engineering risks outside the station's safety margins. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Dancing robots aside, machines folding clothes or selling water moved slowly and stiffly. — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026

Noun

The admission, an aside in a wide-ranging interview, raised eyebrows in the recovery community given the star’s very public embrace of sobriety after joining a 12-step program following his 2016 split from wife Angelina Jolie. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026

The pacing feels off throughout much of the film, with comic and contemplative asides gumming up the central caper. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026

Preposition

The Talent Math Creates an Additional Problem Set aside the engagement data for a moment and look at the labor market itself. — Susan Lamotte, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Leaving aside Messi’s genius, this group of players have been together for years. — Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 July 2026

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