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

• 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

At Trump’s behest, congressional Republicans set aside $250 million in July for renovations to the center as part of their tax and spending bill. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025

Put the struggling project aside and work on the new thing that sounds fun. —Kristen Arnett august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025

Noun

Written at the turn of the year from 1967 to 1968 while living with the Fairfield Porter family on Long Island, the poem is quintessential Schuyler, interweaving immediate sensual responses to weather and daily events with witty asides and reflections. —Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025

The original films set a high bar for the number of such random asides included, but Schaffer and co-writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand did their best to incorporate the maximum amount tolerable. —Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025

Preposition

Rising out of the gorgeous sea, these volcanic spires are both dramatic and reassuring, allowing long, uninterrupted stretches of contemplative thought that set aside the cares of the world. —Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Because California’s new map would require setting aside the current one drawn by a nonpartisan commission, voters will have the final say to approve or veto the new congressional lines. —Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 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