beside
/bɪˈsaɪd/ (bre, ipa) · [bɪsˈaɪd] /bɪˈsaɪd/ (ame, ipa) · [bɪsˈaɪd] /bi-ˈsīd bē-/ (ame, mw)
beside — preposition
1. right next to someone or something, with nothing between you
right next to someone or something, with nothing between you
Ezra always keeps a glass of water beside his bed at night.
beside + [object] showing physical position
Nila sat beside her grandmother during the long bus ride.
A tall oak tree grew beside the old wooden cottage.
Hao parked his bicycle beside the bakery and walked inside.
There was a small reading lamp beside the green sofa in Élise's living room.
文法句型
beside + noun (location)
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person, animal, or object placed in close physical proximity to another. Stronger than 'near' — implies the two are immediately adjacent with no gap.
常見錯誤
2. used when you place two things side by side in the mind so that one comes out lo
used when you place two things side by side in the mind so that one comes out looking weaker, smaller, or less impressive
Adina's painting looked rather small beside the huge mural on the wall.
[noun] + look/seem + adjective + beside + [comparison]
Mauricio's cooking seems plain beside the meals his uncle makes for the family.
Beside last year's harvest, this year's crop is disappointing for the village farmers.
Indra's first novel feels weak beside the powerful stories her sister writes.
The new phone looks cheap beside the gold-coloured model on the shelf.
- compared with
neutral and more general; works for any comparison, not just diminishing ones
- next to
informal in this comparison sense; less common in writing
- in comparison to
more formal, especially in academic or written contexts
文法句型
[X] seems/looks + adjective + beside + [Y]
用法筆記
Frequently paired with adjectives like 'small', 'dull', 'weak', 'plain', or 'cheap' that name how the first thing comes out looking after the comparison. Distinguish from sense 1: here no physical adjacency is needed — the two items are weighed against each other, not placed side by side.
常見錯誤
3. having nothing to do with the topic that is being talked about, so it should be
having nothing to do with the topic that is being talked about, so it should be set aside
Whether Eshe felt tired is beside the question of why her report was late.
[topic A] + be + beside + [topic B] — A does not belong to B
The ticket price is beside our main concern: keeping the children safe on the trip.
Christopher's past work as a chef is beside the question of his leadership skills.
Who broke the vase is beside the point; we must clean the floor before guests arrive.
- irrelevant to
more formal; common in writing and discussion
- off-topic from
informal; common in conversation and online debate
- central to
directly the opposite — at the heart of the topic
- relevant to
neutral opposite, used in formal writing
文法句型
[X] + be + beside the point
beside + [topic]
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed expression 'beside the point' (see idioms), but can also take a more specific noun phrase such as 'beside the question of...' or 'beside the issue of...'. Distinguish from sense 1 and 2: the relationship here is purely about relevance, not space or comparison.
常見錯誤
beside — adverb
1. in a place close by, just at the side of where something is happening
in a place close by, just at the side of where something is happening
An old stone wall stood beside, almost hidden by the wild grass.
intransitive adverbial use: verb + beside (no object)
The river flowed steadily, and a narrow path ran beside.
Eric walked through the garden while two large dogs trotted beside.
The general rode at the front and his loyal officers galloped beside.
- far away
general opposite of being close
文法句型
[verb of position/movement] + beside
用法筆記
Rare in modern English and felt as literary or formal; today most writers use 'alongside' or 'nearby'. The adverb has no object after it, unlike the preposition.
常見錯誤
2. as something extra to what has already been said or done
as something extra to what has already been said or done
Nicholas paid the rent on time, and beside, he helped repair the broken kitchen door.
additive adverb joining a second piece of information
The factory was closing for the holiday, and beside, the trains had stopped running before evening.
Adina disliked the new manager; beside, the office was too far from her home.
Hao had already eaten dinner, and beside, the restaurant was about to close.
- also
neutral and everyday; works in any register
- moreover
more formal, common in written argument
- furthermore
formal; usually opens an additional supporting point in writing
文法句型
sentence + beside (= 'besides')
用法筆記
This use is very rare and old-fashioned; in modern English the spelling 'besides' is standard for the 'in addition' meaning. Treated as a literary or archaic variant — do not write 'beside' for 'besides' in everyday prose.