goodbye

noun

good·​bye gu̇d-ˈbī How to pronounce goodbye (audio)
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

Examples of goodbye in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Once the ante got to $17.2 million, Petrovic said goodbye Foxborough, hello London. Frank Dell'apa, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2023 His press service offered no details of the unusually clandestine farewell, except to say that those who wished to say goodbye could visit Porokhovskoye cemetery. Mikhail Klimentov, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023 Saturday night, Lance was flying to Dallas to join his new team to replace Grier, who was given the team’s final preseason game to say goodbye. David Moore, Dallas News, 27 Aug. 2023 Others dropped kids off in the tight parking lot, with hugs and kisses goodbye. Michael Lee, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Aug. 2023 After three seasons and a year of specials, the actor finally said goodbye in the epic two-parter The End of Time. Cameron K McEwan, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Aug. 2023 All About the Real Locations Behind Cousins Beach That said, Belly and Conrad didn’t get a happy ending, and their emotional goodbye in the motel room at the end of season 2 was a pivotal moment from the books Han wanted to get right. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2023 As schoolyard gates opened across the nation’s second-largest school district, parents snapped photos of smiling young children, said goodbye with long hugs — and a few tears — and some expressed first-day jitters. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2023 And though his impropriety loomed over him for some years, for those who stopped by to say goodbye on Monday, it was far outweighed by a legacy of mentorship, championship for his constituents and profound love of his family. Lateshia Beachum, Washington Post, 31 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'goodbye.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of God be with you

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of goodbye was in 1575

Dictionary Entries Near goodbye

Cite this Entry

“Goodbye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goodbye. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on goodbye

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!