beside

1 of 2

preposition

be·​side bi-ˈsīd How to pronounce beside (audio)
bē-
1
a
: by the side of
walk beside me
a house beside a small lake
b
: in comparison with
potential complications are minor beside the benefits
c
: on a par with
a composition that can be ranked beside that of the masters
2
: not relevant to
but that's beside the point
3
: besides
No one knows beside me.
learning other languages beside French and English

beside

2 of 2

adverb

1
archaic : nearby
2
archaic : besides
Phrases
beside oneself
: in a state of extreme excitement

Examples of beside in a Sentence

Preposition She sat beside him during dinner. The man beside her was wearing a brown suit and hat. They were walking beside me. Stand beside the statue and I'll take your picture. Their house is beside a small lake. These problems seem unimportant beside the potential benefits of the new system.
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.
Preposition
On a recent evening, a few hundred students gathered at the Institute, the Church’s center beside the U’s campus. Emma Green, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025 Verstappen starts seventh, beside Carlos Sainz, who has had his best start since joining Williams ahead of this season. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Focus on the Arts 2025 was a consecutive multi-day festival starting on April 1 that allowed students to work beside and learn from professional artists across multiple disciplines. Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025 Just a normal night, losing his virginity to an LBH’s professional girlfriend and jerking off his big brother, followed by waking up naked beside said brother, who is also naked, without a woman in sight. Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beside

Word History

Etymology

Preposition and Adverb

Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English be sīdan at or to the side, from be at (from ) + sīdan, dative & accusative of sīde side — more at by

First Known Use

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beside was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beside. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

beside

preposition
be·​side
bi-ˈsīd
1
a
: by the side of
walk beside me
b
: in comparison with
the kitten looks tiny beside that big dog
2
: besides entry 1
was the only one, beside me, who objected
3
: not relating to
beside the point

More from Merriam-Webster on beside

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