beside

American  

[bih-sahyd] / bɪˈsaɪd /

preposition

1. by or at the side of; near.

   Sit down beside me.

2. compared with.

   Beside him other writers seem amateurish.

3. apart from; not connected with.

   beside the point; beside the question.

4. besides.

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adverb

1. along the side of something.

   The family rode in the carriage, and the dog ran along beside.

2. besides.

idioms

1. beside oneself, almost out of one's senses from a strong emotion, as from joy, delight, anger, fear, or grief.

   He was beside himself with rage when the train left without him.

beside British  

/ bɪˈsaɪd /

preposition

1. next to; at, by, or to the side of

2. as compared with

3. away from; wide of

   beside the point

4. archaic besides

5. overwhelmed; overwrought

   beside oneself with grief

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adverb

1. at, by, to, or along the side of something or someone

Commonly Confused

For the prepositional meanings “over and above, in addition to” and “except” besides is preferred, especially in edited writing: Besides these honors he received a sum of money. We heard no other sound besides the breaking surf. However, beside sometimes occurs with these meanings as well.

Etymology

Origin of beside

before 1000; Middle English; earlier bi-siden, Old English bī sīdan, be sīdan; see be-, side ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beside

That lively string of bird feeders beside the nursing home seemed quietly heroic, like a line of lanterns burning brightly against the dusk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

On Saturday, a bonfire, from which almost 500 pallets were removed during the week, was set on fire beside a road in the Bogside area.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

"It's crazy!" uttered a woman as the crowd beside suddenly burst into enthusiastic applause.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

McDonald’s becomes not merely something Trump eats or campaigns beside, but part of the visual vocabulary through which people understand him.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

Clare did the paddling, his arms being longer, as beside him, Gingersnipes basked in the sunlight, paws clasped behind her head.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman