bye

1 of 2

noun

ˈbī 

plural byes ˈbīz 

: the position of a participant in a tournament who advances to the next round without playing

drew a first-round bye

bye

2 of 2

interjection

—used as a shortened form of goodbye to express farewell

When he finally spoke, though, and said, "Bye, I'll call you," instead of disappointment she had felt an enormous rush of relief—a feeling, she thinks now, of things falling back into place.

—Ann Packer

The stag lowered his head and raised it again. He blew out a frosty puff of air, then leaped away, vanishing into the mist. "Bye," Annie said wistfully.

—Mary Pope Osborne

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Auggie!" I kissed them both quickly and headed toward the door.

—R. J. Palacio

Examples of bye in a Sentence

Noun

She got a bye into the second round of the tennis tournament.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Oregon’s conference schedule is difficult: eight consecutive weeks without a bye, Ohio State at home and Michigan on the road. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024

As Big 12 champions, the Utes would receive a bye into the College Football Playoff quarterfinals — one victory from the sport’s final four. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024

Interjection

Home Maid says bye to Baltimore Home Maid, the brunch spot that got its start in Towson before moving to Federal Hill in 2016, has closed as owner Derrick Faulcon turns a focus to other projects. —Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2024

Casey stayed at our apartment for less than 20 minutes, the perfect hi/bye. —Brigid Washington, Bon Appétit, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of by entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined above

Interjection

1618, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bye

• bye-bye
• bye-election
• by the bye
• go bye-bye
• go bye-byes
• good-bye