beside
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beside
at the side of: She stood beside me.
Not to be confused with:
besides – in addition to: Who is going besides me?
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
be·side
(bĭ-sīd′)prep.
1. At the side of; next to.
2.
a. In comparison with: a proposal that seems quite reasonable beside the others.
b. On an equal footing with: has earned a place beside the best performers in the business.
3. In addition to: "Many creatures beside man live in communities" (Stuart Chase). See Usage Note at besides.
4. Except for. See Usage Note at besides.
5. Not relevant to: a remark that was beside the point.
adv. Archaic
Idiom: 1. In addition.
2. Nearby.
beside (oneself)
In a state of extreme excitement or agitation: They were beside themselves with glee.
[Middle English biside, from Old English be sīdan : be, by; see by1 + sīde, side.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
beside
(bɪˈsaɪd)prep
1. next to; at, by, or to the side of
2. as compared with
3. away from; wide of: beside the point.
4. archaic besides
5. beside oneself (often foll by: with) overwhelmed; overwrought: beside oneself with grief.
adv
at, by, to, or along the side of something or someone
[Old English be sīdan; see by, side]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
be•side
(bɪˈsaɪd)prep.
1. by or at the side of; near: Sit down beside me.
2. compared with: Beside her other writers seem amateurish.
3. apart from: beside the point.
adv. 5. along the side of something: We walked, and the dog ran along beside.
6. Archaic. besides (def. 2).
Idioms: beside oneself, frantic; distraught.
usage: For the prepositional meanings “over and above, in addition to” and “except” besides is preferred, esp. in edited writing.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
beside
– besides1. 'beside'
If one thing is beside another, it is next to it or at the side of it.
Beside the shed was a huge tree.
I sat down beside my wife.
2. 'besides' used as a preposition
Besides means 'in addition to' or 'as well as'.
What languages do you know besides Arabic and English?
There was only one person besides Jacques who knew Lorraine.
3. 'besides' used to link clauses
You can use besides to introduce a clause beginning with an -ing form.
He writes novels and poems, besides working as a journalist.
Besides being good company, he was always ready to try anything.
Be Careful!
You must use an -ing form in sentences like these. Don't say, for example, 'He writes novels and poems besides he works as a journalist'.
4. 'besides' used as an adverb
You can use besides when you are making an additional point or giving an additional reason that you think is important.
I'll only be gone for five days, and besides, you'll have fun while I'm away.
The house was too big. Besides, we couldn't afford it.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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beside
preposition next to, near, close to, neighbouring, alongside, overlooking, next door to, adjacent to, at the side of, abreast of, cheek by jowl with On the table beside an empty plate was a pile of books.
beside yourself distraught, desperate, mad, distressed, frantic, frenzied, hysterical, insane, crazed, demented, unbalanced, uncontrolled, deranged, berserk, delirious, unhinged, very anxious, overwrought, apoplectic, out of your mind, at the end of your tether He was beside himself with anxiety.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
beside
[bɪˈsaɪd] PREP1. (= at the side of) → al lado de, junto a; (= near) → cerca de
to be beside o.s (with anger) → estar fuera de sí; (with joy) → estar loco de alegría
that's beside the point → eso no tiene nada que ver con el asunto, eso no viene al caso
to be beside o.s (with anger) → estar fuera de sí; (with joy) → estar loco de alegría
that's beside the point → eso no tiene nada que ver con el asunto, eso no viene al caso
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
beside
(biˈsaid) preposition2. compared with. She looks ugly beside her sister.al lado de
beˈsides preposition adverb also. These shoes are expensive – besides, they're too small; She has three sons and an adopted one besides.además
be beside oneself (with) to be in a state of very great, uncontrolled emotion. She was beside herself with excitement as her holiday approached. no caber en sí mismo, estar fuera de sí
be beside the point to be irrelevant. You will have to go. Whether you want to go is beside the point. no venir al caso
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
beside
→ al lado deMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
beside
adv. además;
prep. al lado de, cerca de, junto a;
___ oneself → fuera de sí, loco-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012