beside

[bih-sahyd]

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.

adverb

1. along the side of something.

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

2. besides.

beside

/ 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

adverb

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

Confusables Note

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of beside¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of beside¹

Old English be sīdan ; see _by , _side

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

“They’re still trying to figure out the offense, the terminology, and they’ve never played beside the guy they’re next to. The war of attrition really starts to take its toll.”

From Los Angeles Times

Do it once, but make sure to sit beside a wastebasket.

From Salon

Some have fitted the cooling device and pump at the front of the chassis, others by the side-impact structures beside the cockpit and others inside the chassis.

From BBC

Videos shared online show Njagi actively participating in Bobi Wine's campaign, and appears on stage beside the opposition leader.

From BBC

“If God ever calls me to a holy war,” he said, “I want Joe Frazier fighting beside me.”

From Los Angeles Times