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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And the Royals can’t afford to let any more winnable games fall by the wayside. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025 Treating cooking like drudgery—another chore to perform—will likely not inspire them to adopt this crucial life skill, one that seems to be going by the wayside in the era of GrubHub and DoorDash. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 3 Sep. 2025 Over time, awareness of this very 1970s incident fell by the wayside, but in 2022 Jon Hamm starred in an eight-episode podcast dramatization of it. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025 The latest clash between French lawmakers over reducing the country’s hefty public deficit could see its defense spending pledges fall to the wayside, analysts say. Jenni Reid, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wayside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wayside. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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

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