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; be-, side ¹

Example Sentences

Soft enough to give under a fork, structured enough to hold its shape beside a mug of coffee.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

The plots sit vacant, with faded signs beside locked gates and security signs warning “Guard dogs in use. Trespassers will be prosecuted.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Shortly after the Iran war started four weeks ago, farming executive Bikram Hundal was beside himself.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Malak Meslmani, Jawad's mother, sat beside her son's body with tears streaming down her face.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

When I reached him, Dad was beside Siren, soothing her.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck