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:
Less fortunate were Lehmann, who died of his burns in the hospital, and Dolan, in whose pocket was discovered a poignant goodbye letter written to his wife in case of disaster.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
At 08:06 EDT, on September 11, 2001, Charles kissed Katherine goodbye from their New York City apartment for the last time.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Wilmington resident Jessica Avalos, 29, says goodbye to her son Jaxson at the entrance of school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
A couple of hours later, still in the middle of a song, Liam waves goodbye and casually strolls out of the rehearsal space.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
I know when it stops, the silence will make me sad, as it will mean goodbye, or as you say in your language, adiós.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Relatives crouched on the floor to say their final goodbyes to loved ones, kissing the faces of the dead between sobs.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
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
Kopitar admits the goodbyes have been emotional at times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2026
It spares the host from managing a revolving door of goodbyes, avoids disrupting the natural energy of the event and doesn’t encourage others to leave simply because they see you heading for the door.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
Which might mean I’d have to revise my firmly followed Relocation Rule Number 12: Give good gifts rather than goodbyes.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
