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

See Examples For:

beside

The deceptively simple work is part sculpture, part assemblage, part collage and features a vintage wooden ironing board set beside a white sheet hung on a line with six wooden clothespins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

He described one man as being immediately beside YG and another as positioned behind and between them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

At one point, Celeste's mother was comforted by supporters seated beside her.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

“I feel like it’s a distraction,” the 32-year-old accountant said while clicking away beside her 4-year-old son.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Bracing herself on the guardrail, she knelt beside the fox.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman