Beside: Meaning, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：next to (beside)

beside 🔊

/bɪˈsaɪd/

prep.

In the same place as someone or something, and very close to them.

Two people sitting beside each other on a park bench reading books

next to 🔊

➕

/ˈnekst tuː/

prep.

Indicates that someone or something is located very close to another person or thing, often touching or nearly touching.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Preposition formed from Old English 'be sīdan' meaning 'by the side of'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'be' + 'side' = be by someone's side. Imagine a friend standing right next to you.

📖 Example

In the library, I found an empty seat beside my friend and started studying. 🔊 In the library, I found an empty seat right next to my friend and started studying.

🔗 Collocations

beside the point – Irrelevant to the topic being discussed

beside oneself – Overwhelmed with emotion, such as anger or excitement

beside the bed – Positioned next to the bed

🔄 Synonyms

near (prep.) – At a short distance from something

next to (prep.) – Immediately adjacent to something

alongside (prep.) – Close to the side of something

🚫 Antonyms

far from (prep.) – At a great distance from something

away from (prep.) – Not near or in the vicinity of something

🌱 Derivatives

besides (adv./prep.) – In addition to; apart from

📖 Cultural Story

From Old English 'be sīdan' (by the side). Commonly used in modern English to indicate physical proximity or comparison, as in 'beside the point'.