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

Beside it is the pale blue flight jacket of Sally Ride, a physicist who in 1983 became the first American woman in space.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Beside her earlier was Ariel Atkins, one of the veterans she helped bring to Los Angeles, a signal that this next chapter is meant to be different.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Beside him, a wooden stake marked the corner of a mining claim.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Beside him, Tuipulotu was measured and focused, a picture of contentment after a job spectacularly well done, while giving off the vibe that there's another, even bigger job, to do on Saturday.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

Beside Chess, Emma let out a sound that could have been a snort or a nervous giggle.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix