wayside
Americannoun
adjective
noun
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the side or edge of a road
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(modifier) situated by the wayside
a wayside inn
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to cease or fail to continue doing something
of the nine starters, three fell by the wayside
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to be put aside on account of something more urgent
Etymology
Origin of wayside
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at way 1, side 1
Vocabulary lists containing wayside
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.
Scares fall by the wayside when it shifts into a more philosophical gear, vibrating with questions about how to live a meaningful life: Should these victims accept their fate or keep struggling?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
That doesn’t mean that it might not see a reissue along with some of the bonus tracks that got left by the wayside in those days, but right now I’m really moving into the future.”
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
He had forgotten about it all and, as Covid hit in 2020 when he went to university, the freemanship "fell by the wayside slightly as life got in the way".
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Television series that were once made for tweens mostly fell to the wayside.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
Looming up on the cobbled wayside came the hulk of Hold-Your-Nose Billy, with Cutwater following as close as a cow's tail.
From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman
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.
