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

Synonyms

• farewell

Examples of goodbye in a Sentence

said our good-byes and headed for home

Recent Examples on the Web

The Stranger Things alum then attempted to hang up, but the Saltburn actor wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye just yet. —Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 18 July 2025

Black Sabbath said goodbye earlier this month with a farewell concert held in Birmingham, England, the very city where the band helped create the heavy metal genre. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025

But with three more seasons still yet to air, Strange New Worlds isn’t ready to say goodbye just yet. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 15 July 2025

The Royals will shift to using helicopters and scheduled trains for travel between residences across the U.K. Before its retirement, the royal train will go on a farewell tour of Britain, giving the public a chance to say goodbye. —Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2025

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