1
: to or toward the side
He stepped aside and let her pass.
She drew aside the curtains. = She drew the curtains aside.
He threw/tossed his coat aside.
Please stand aside.
She laid/set the book aside.
He elbowed people aside as he moved through the crowd.
He took/drew her aside to speak to her privately.
Someone grabbed him and pulled/pushed him aside.
—often used figurativelyTheir objections were swept/brushed aside. [=were quickly dismissed or disregarded]
The old methods have been cast/thrown aside [=have been abandoned] in favor of new ones.
Leaving/Putting aside the question of money for the moment, we need to come up with a workable schedule.
2
—used with put or set to describe something that is being kept or saved for a future use
She's been setting/putting money aside [=has been saving money] for school.
The government has set aside a thousand acres for use as a park.
3
—used to say that something is not included in a statement that follows
Dangerous appearances aside, these animals are really very gentle and friendly. [=these animals are friendly despite their dangerous appearances]
Such minor problems aside [=except for such minor problems], the movie is a very entertaining thriller.
plural asides
1
: a comment spoken by a character in a play that is heard by the audience but is supposedly not heard by other characters on stage
2
: a comment that is spoken quietly to someone so that it cannot be heard by other people who are present
She made a joke about the food in a muttered/whispered aside to her husband.
3
: a comment or discussion that does not relate directly to the main subject being discussed
The book includes several lengthy asides about the personal lives of scientists involved in the project.
In his speech he mentioned her contributions almost as an aside, despite the fact that she was the one who came up with the idea originally.
Cite this Entry
“Aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/aside. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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