wayside

noun

way·​side ˈwā-ˌsīd How to pronounce wayside (audio)
: the side of or land adjacent to a road or path
wayside adjective
Phrases
by the wayside
: out of consideration : into a condition of neglect or disuse
usually used with fall

Examples of wayside in a Sentence

Flowers grew along the wayside.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With less money being invested by record labels into touring, that has created a top-heavy artist hierarchy, with the rich getting richer and the poor and middle class falling by the wayside. Roy Trakin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025 At the same time, the Giants, Diamondbacks and Cardinals have fallen by the wayside. C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025 OpenAI has experimented with many ChatGPT features over the years, some of which become essential and some fall by the wayside. Benj Edwards, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025 And perhaps a couple of hundred pages are taken up with entries presenting preferred spelling and pronunciations, in many cases of words that have fallen by the wayside. Ben Yagoda, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wayside

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wayside was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wayside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wayside. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

wayside

noun
way·​side ˈwā-ˌsīd How to pronounce wayside (audio)
: the side or border of a road or path
wayside adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on wayside

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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