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

John’s café rendezvous with equally complicated father-figure Hal ends with him punching the hotshot pilot in the face, in what turns out to be an ugly goodbye. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

Butka’s initial arrest was for an incident on the night of July 22, when two people were saying goodbye outside a home on Royal Vista Avenue in Clermont. — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

On Thursday, family and friends celebrated his life in Woodbury, and Gig's personalized tramcar was transported from the shore to the funeral home as a way to say goodbye. — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Rod Stewart kept his farewell tour going for more than a year, never one to say goodbye too soon. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 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