goodbye

American  

[good-bahy] / ˌgʊdˈbaɪ /

Sometimes goodby, or good-bye

interjection

1. farewell (a conventional expression used at parting).

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noun

goodbyes plural

1. a farewell.

goodbye British  

/ ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ /

1. farewell: a conventional expression used at leave-taking or parting with people and at the loss or rejection of things or ideas

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noun

1. a leave-taking; parting

   they prolonged their goodbyes for a few more minutes

2. a farewell

   they said goodbyes to each other

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• goodbyes
  plural

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

The goodbye messages fueled speculation that a Boeing 747 controversially gifted to President Donald Trump by the Gulf emirate of Qatar is now due to enter service.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

"Yesterday I buried my father. Today I have come to say goodbye to my mother."

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026

Plus, a guide to the far-flung base camps, a final goodbye to Messi and Ronaldo and hot takes from soccer’s loudest star.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Around the time Williams picked up her Beverly Hills abode, she was ready to bid goodbye to her home in the Bel-Air neighborhood.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

I send my dad a text using Wes’s phone and say goodbye to Paul, who waves back.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• adieu
• bye-bye