be·side
bi-ˈsīd 
bē-
1
a
: by the side of
walk beside me
a house beside a small lake
b
: in comparison with
potential complications are minor beside the benefits
c
: on a par with
a composition that can be ranked beside that of the masters
2
: not relevant to
but that's beside the point
3
: besides
No one knows beside me.
learning other languages beside French and English
Synonyms
Examples of beside in a Sentence
Preposition
She sat beside him during dinner.
The man beside her was wearing a brown suit and hat.
They were walking beside me.
Stand beside the statue and I'll take your picture.
Their house is beside a small lake.
These problems seem unimportant beside the potential benefits of the new system.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jem Aswad, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
General manager Chris Grier sat beside coach Mike McDaniel in the team’s news conference room when asked about his desire to keep the Dolphins’ 2024 draft capital.
—Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Herrera was moving his car to avoid a parking ticket when the pair drove beside him and demanded to know his gang affiliation, according to prosecutors.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
Several nights later, the wife was again awakened by a low guttural muttering close beside her in the dark.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Her son rises at 5:30 to read and play the violin beside her.
—Imani Perry Janina Edwards Krish Seenivasan Devin Murphy, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
But beside her mother’s grave stood a green postcard-size marker with her name and a generic sunset photo printed on white paper.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Guests can then wind down with a drink beside the garden lap pool or in the Guinguette café.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
The limousines of the prime minister and his lackeys are parked beside the gangway.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
Amanda Fortini, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
In one picture, the actress looks away from the camera outside by a tree, while another snap features Miller standing beside what appears to be an airplane.
—Jillian Pretzel, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2023
Christopher Borrelli sat beside recently in the lobby of a School of the Art Institute of Chicago building on Michigan Avenue.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2023
The river is open for swimming, wading or just to sit beside while enjoying its splashy serenade.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
Observers standing beside, or passing by, the lab’s fish tanks could hear a continuous buzzing sound, and this led to identifying the fish itself as the source of the sound.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
The park’s location beside to the Weston Branch Library, Broward Community College and other schools means the area is sure to sometimes double as an outdoor classroom.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
During spring and summer, place the plants beside — not directly in front of — a north- or east-facing window, which provides less exposure than one facing south or west.
—Jessica Damiano, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2024
At the season-four Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion, for example, Teresa Giudice switched couches halfway through to more effectively yell at those who she’d been seated beside.
—Vulture, 10 Jan. 2024
Preposition
Those nights beside the fire sleeping on our saddles and trying to keep the beans pacified has been indelibly stamped in my mind.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
General manager Chris Grier sat beside coach Mike McDaniel in the team’s news conference room when asked about his desire to keep the Dolphins’ 2024 draft capital.
—Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Herrera was moving his car to avoid a parking ticket when the pair drove beside him and demanded to know his gang affiliation, according to prosecutors.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
Several nights later, the wife was again awakened by a low guttural muttering close beside her in the dark.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Her son rises at 5:30 to read and play the violin beside her.
—Imani Perry Janina Edwards Krish Seenivasan Devin Murphy, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
But beside her mother’s grave stood a green postcard-size marker with her name and a generic sunset photo printed on white paper.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Guests can then wind down with a drink beside the garden lap pool or in the Guinguette café.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
The limousines of the prime minister and his lackeys are parked beside the gangway.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
Adverb
On the eighty-ninth floor, the very top of the hotel, attendees sat beside long, curved windows overlooking the Strip, the lights of the city spread out below like a sequinned scarf.
—Amanda Fortini, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
In one picture, the actress looks away from the camera outside by a tree, while another snap features Miller standing beside what appears to be an airplane.
—Jillian Pretzel, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2023
Christopher Borrelli sat beside recently in the lobby of a School of the Art Institute of Chicago building on Michigan Avenue.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2023
The river is open for swimming, wading or just to sit beside while enjoying its splashy serenade.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
Observers standing beside, or passing by, the lab’s fish tanks could hear a continuous buzzing sound, and this led to identifying the fish itself as the source of the sound.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
The park’s location beside to the Weston Branch Library, Broward Community College and other schools means the area is sure to sometimes double as an outdoor classroom.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
During spring and summer, place the plants beside — not directly in front of — a north- or east-facing window, which provides less exposure than one facing south or west.
—Jessica Damiano, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2024
At the season-four Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion, for example, Teresa Giudice switched couches halfway through to more effectively yell at those who she’d been seated beside.
—Vulture, 10 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beside.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near beside
Cite this Entry
“Beside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beside. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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