goodbye
Americaninterjection
noun
-
goodbyes
plural
noun
-
a leave-taking; parting
they prolonged their goodbyes for a few more minutes
-
a farewell
they said goodbyes to each other
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of goodbye
First recorded in 1565–75; contraction of God be with ye
Explanation
Goodbye is a parting word, something you say to other people when you're leaving. You might say goodbye to all your favorite teachers on your last day of high school. A goodbye means that someone's departing: you say goodbye to your parents when you go off to college, and you also say goodbye to guests when they leave after a visit. The original goodbye, dating from the 1570s, was godbwye, which was a contraction of the farewell phrase "God be with ye!"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But ultimately, it was to sort of say goodbye in a way that he felt would be most appropriate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Radio host to Deborah James: I won't say goodbye.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
There was also footage of the family waving goodbye.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
"I said goodbye to you and did not know what lay ahead," he said referring to their final meeting.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
We say goodbye and exchange shy, content smiles.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
But while Stokes was saying his England goodbyes at Trent Bridge, Fuchs was saying hello at Bridge Field in Derbyshire, turning out for Grindleford in a Sunday friendly against Riverside Notts.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
By the end of the second season, Slot was sat alone in the dugout watching Salah and Robertson say their own goodbyes.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
As I said my goodbyes and wandered back out into the lush darkness of the Beverly Hills Hotel, I thought about the end of another awards season coming to a close.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2026
Traditionally, Irish culture values goodbyes that are warm, friendly and sincere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
In the end, I decide it doesn’t matter, and Sophie and I say our goodbyes.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
