beside
Definition
- Preposition:
- At the side of; next to: "beside" indicates physical proximity or adjacency.
- In comparison with: "beside" can be used to contrast or compare two things.
- Apart from; not relevant to: "beside" appears in fixed phrases to indicate irrelevance.
Usage Examples
At the side of:
- She sat beside her mother during the ceremony. (She was seated next to her mother.)
- The cat slept beside the fireplace. (The cat slept next to the fireplace.)
In comparison with:
- My work is poor beside yours. (Your work is much better than mine.)
- His achievements seem small beside hers. (Her achievements are far greater.)
Apart from (in fixed phrases):
- That argument is beside the point. (That argument is not relevant to the main issue.)
- Her comment was completely beside the question. (Her comment had no connection to the question being discussed.)
Advanced Usage
"to be beside oneself": to be overwhelmed by emotion (usually anger, joy, or distress), losing self-control.
- She was beside herself with joy when she heard the news. (She was so happy she could not control herself.)
- He was beside himself with rage after the insult. (He was extremely angry and unable to calm down.)
"beside the mark": off target; incorrect or irrelevant.
- Your guess was completely beside the mark. (Your guess was wrong or irrelevant.)
Variants and Related Words
- Besides (adv/prep): in addition to; also; moreover.
- Besides being a teacher, she is a writer. (In addition to being a teacher, she is a writer.)
Synonyms
- Next to: at the side of.
- Adjacent to: close to; neighboring.
- Compared to: in relation to (for comparative use).
Related Idioms
Beside the point: irrelevant to the subject at hand.
- What he said was interesting but beside the point. (His comment was not relevant to the discussion.)
Beside oneself with something: overwhelmed by a strong emotion.
- He was beside himself with grief. (He was extremely sad and unable to control his emotions.)