aside

1 of 3

adverb

ə-ˈsīd 

1

: to or toward the side

stepped aside

2

: away from others or into privacy

pulled him aside

3

: out of the way especially for future use : away

putting aside savings

4

: away from one's thought or consideration

All kidding aside, we really need to get busy.

aside

2 of 3

noun

1

: an utterance not meant to be heard by someone

especially : an actor's speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters

2

: a comment or discussion that does not relate directly to the main subject being discussed : digression

He frequently interrupted his narrative with amusing asides.

aside

3 of 3

preposition

obsolete

: beyond, past

Synonyms

Noun

• digression
• divagation
• excursion
• tangent

Examples of aside in a Sentence

Adverb

He stepped aside and let her pass.

He threw his coat aside.

She laid the book aside.

He elbowed people aside as he moved through the crowd.

He took her aside to speak to her privately.

Someone grabbed him and pulled him aside.

Noun

She made a joke about the food in a muttered aside to her husband.

The book includes several lengthy asides about the personal lives of scientists involved in the project.

In his speech he mentioned her contributions almost as an aside, despite the fact that she was the one who came up with the idea originally.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

In the second period alone, Oettinger made a huge save on Brock Nelson in front, turned aside a Logan O’Connor breakaway and stopped a hard-charging Nathan MacKinnon in the final minute. —Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025

The total price tag for the garden is $34 million, with $30 million set aside for the statues. —Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025

Noun

There was some talk among Trump allies that Musk’s media appearances may be curbed after an aside about the need to address waste in Social Security became fodder for Democrats who viewed it as an attack on the program. —Brett Samuels, The Hill, 26 Mar. 2025

As an aside, will disappointing guidance lead to future weakness? —Trefis Team, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

Preposition

Slaven encourages moms not to wait for the perfect self-care moment (which may never come) and rather start with setting aside as little as 10 minutes during the day that are just for you. —Liz Regalia, Parents, 25 Apr. 2025

Of course, not every family can afford to set aside the bonus for decades, and many will need to spend it on immediate needs. —Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

see side entry 1

Noun

see side entry 1

Preposition

see side entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1592, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing aside

• aside from
• brush aside
• cast aside
• joking aside
• lay aside
• pull aside
• push aside
• put aside
• set aside
• stand aside
• step aside
• sweep aside
• take (someone) aside
• wave aside

Rhymes for aside

• abide
• allied
• applied
• astride
• azide
• backside
• bankside
• bastide
• bayside
• bedside
• belied
• beside

Kids Definition

aside

1 of 2 adverb

ə-ˈsīd 

1

: to or toward the side

stepped aside

2

: out of the way especially for future use : away

put money aside for school

3

: away from one's thought or consideration

all kidding aside

aside

2 of 2 noun

: words meant not to be heard by someone

especially : an actor's words supposedly not heard by others on the stage