wayside

noun

way·​side ˈwā-ˌsīd How to pronounce wayside (audio)
: the side of or land adjacent to a road or path
wayside adjective
Phrases
by the wayside
: out of consideration : into a condition of neglect or disuse
usually used with fall

Examples of wayside in a Sentence

Flowers grew along the wayside.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Meanwhile, traditional staples such as editorial board endorsements, once sought by candidates and valued by news consumers, are going by the wayside. Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2024 Amid the cottage industry of fretting over fickle moderates and outré conservatives of color (Cubans in Miami, Byron Donalds and Clarence Thomas, et al.), Asian Americans can fall by the wayside. Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 Then of course - as touched on earlier - the sheer amount of time spent in the office means that other aspects of life fall by the wayside. Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Once someone signs up to judge a reality-competition show, the rest of their career falls by the wayside. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wayside 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wayside was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near wayside

Cite this Entry

“Wayside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wayside. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

wayside

noun
way·​side ˈwā-ˌsīd How to pronounce wayside (audio)
: the side or border of a road or path
wayside adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on wayside

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!