inside

[ preposition in-sahyd, in-sahyd; adverb in-sahyd; noun in-sahyd; adjective in-sahyd, in-, in-sahyd ]

preposition

1. on the inner side or part of; within: inside the envelope.

   inside the circle;

   inside the envelope.

2. prior to the elapse of; within:

   He promised to arrive inside an hour.

adverb

1. in or into the inner part:

   Please go inside.

2. indoors:

   They play inside on rainy days.

3. within one's heart, reason, etc.; by true nature; fundamentally:

   I know inside that he's not guilty.

   Inside, she's really very shy.

4. Slang. in prison.

noun

1. the inner or internal part; interior:

   the inside of the house.

   Antonyms: exterior, outside

2. the inner side or surface: He pinned the money to the inside of his jacket.

   the inside of the hand;

   He pinned the money to the inside of his jacket.

3. insides ( def 1 ).
4. a select or inner circle of power, prestige, etc.:

   a man on the inside.

5. the shortest of several parallel, curving tracks or lanes; the part of an oval track closest to the inner rail:

   The horse came up fast on the inside.

6. the inward nature, mind, feelings, etc.
7. Slang. confidential or secret information.
8. an inside passenger or place in a coach, carriage, etc.

adjective

1. situated or being on or in the inside; interior; internal:

   an inside seat.

2. acting, employed, done, or originating within a building or place:

   He used to work on the dock but now he has an inside job.

3. derived from the inner circle of those concerned in and having private knowledge of a situation:

   inside information.

4. Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing between home plate and the batter:

   The pitch was low and inside.

inside

noun

1. the interior; inner or enclosed part or surface
2. the side of a path away from the road or adjacent to a wall
3. informal.
   also plural the internal organs of the body, esp the stomach and bowels
4. inside of
   in a period of time less than; within
5. inside out
   with the inside facing outwards
6. know something inside out
   to know something thoroughly or perfectly

preposition

1. in or to the interior of; within or to within; on the inside of

adjective

1. on or of an interior; on the inside

   an inside door

2. prenominal arranged or provided by someone within an organization or building, esp illicitly

   inside information

   the raid was an inside job

adverb

1. within or to within a thing or place; indoors
2. by nature; fundamentally

   inside, he's a good chap

3. slang.
   in or into prison

Usage

See outside

Word History and Origins

Origin of inside¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; in, side ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. inside of, Informal. within the space or period of:

   Our car broke down again inside of a mile.

2. inside out,
   1. with the inner side reversed to face the outside.
   2. thoroughly: completely:

      She knew the work inside out.

More idioms and phrases containing inside

• on the inside
• step in (inside)

Synonym Study

Inside, interior both refer to the inner part or space within something. Inside is a common word, and is used with reference to things of any size, small or large: the inside of a pocket. Interior, somewhat more formal, denotes the inner part or the space or regions within; it usually suggests considerable size or extent, and sometimes a richness of decoration: the interior of a country, of the earth, of a cathedral.

Example Sentences

On the other, no one inside the Lakers locker room would dare compare the two, the first definitely still a novelty the Lakers would’ve happily traded, prize money and all, for even a long shot chance to win the big title in the spring.

From Los Angeles Times

By the early aughts an older, wiser Dolours is disillusioned with the meaninglessness of so much bloodshed and pondering what it means to have so many spent matches poking her from inside her pockets.

From Salon

That’s where you get tech-bro-manual proposals like making federal staffers work inside their physical offices all day and all week.

From Slate

Zoë Schiffer, a tech journalist and the author of Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter, told me that such acts would be especially appealing to Musk.

From Slate

Tanton kindles a small fire of twigs inside a metal pitcher, while expounding for the camera about ecology and overpopulation.

From Salon

Related Words

• indoors