goodbye

noun

good·​bye gu̇d-ˈbī 

gə(d)-

variants or good-bye or less commonly goodby or good-by

1

: a concluding remark or gesture at parting

—often used interjectionally

2

: a taking of leave

a tearful goodbye

see also:

kiss goodbye

Synonyms of goodbye

• farewell

Examples of goodbye in a Sentence

said our good-byes and headed for home

Recent Examples on the Web

One benefit of Emiliano Martinez’s long goodbye was Villa having time to map out the road ahead. — Aston Villa, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

And that’s what next year is going to be, a six-episode goodbye that hopefully resolves everything viewers have been wondering about. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026

At 4 o’clock on a Thursday morning, Salomon Olea grabbed a packed lunch of a ham-and- cheese torta and a white peach, kissed his wife goodbye and left the home in Escondido he’s owned for nearly 30 years. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

As Roy tries to make an Irish goodbye, Jamie affectionately razzes him for being hairy. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of God be with you

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing goodbye

• kiss goodbye
• kiss something goodbye
• say goodbye to
• wave goodbye

Rhymes for goodbye

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

Kids Definition

good-bye

noun

variants or good-by

gu̇d-ˈbī, 

gəd-, 

gə-

: a concluding remark at parting

—often used interjectionally

Etymology

a shortened and altered form of God be with you