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; be-, side ¹

Example Sentences

Singing at the top of my lungs beside my piano as Michael Feinstein plays.

From The Wall Street Journal

Her contribution — five modeled microcrystalline wax sculptures of sleeping toddlers — appears beside three paintings from the 1960s by her mother, Carmen de Monteflores, who is now 92.

From Los Angeles Times

In mid-January, graphic designer Oleksandra Skachkova posted a TikTok video of herself drinking her morning coffee beside a thermometer reading 53 degrees Fahrenheit.

From The Wall Street Journal

I order fried vendace rolled in rye flour, mashed potatoes beside it, and a local IPA.

From Salon

He isn’t exactly dropping jewels of inspiration suited to be posted in classrooms beside John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success.”

From Los Angeles Times