side

SYD/saɪd/

Pluralsides

Verbsides, siding, sided

36 meanings of side

Practice

1
locationnouncountable or uncountable
An area that lies in a certain place near or next to something.
Their house is on the north side of town.
The shops are on the other side of the street.
UsageSay on the other side of the street.
2
nouncountable or uncountable
One of the two halves of something, such as the left or right part.
Like the two halves of a sandwich cut down the middle.
In the US, cars drive on the right side of the road.
The right side of the boat got wet.
Similarhalf
3
outer facenouncountable or uncountable
One of the flat outer surfaces of a thing, such as the front or back of paper.
Like the flat faces of a number cube.
A box has six flat sides.
Paint each side of the cube a different color.
UsageSay both sides of the paper.
Similarface, surface
Note
4
nouncountable or uncountable
A group of people who support the same position in an argument or fight.
Like two teams pulling on opposite ends of a rope.
Which side are you on in this debate?
Both sides agreed to stop fighting.
UsageSay Which side are you on?
Similarparty, camp, faction
Note
5
aspectnouncountable or uncountable
One part of someone's character or of a situation.
Like one part of a person you only get to see sometimes.
She has a kind side that not everyone sees.
There is a funny side to this problem.
UsageSay look on the bright side.
Similaraspect, facet, angle, perspective
6
teamnouncountable or uncountable
A group of players who play together against another group in a game.
Like one of the two teams in a game of tag.
Pick which side you want to play on.
Our side won the card game.
Similarteam
7
secondaryadjective
Not the main thing, but extra or less important.
That is just a side issue, not the main problem.
He made a quick side note in the margin.
UsageUse it before a noun: a side issue.
Similarsecondary, incidental, peripheral, tangential, minor
Oppositemain, central, primary
8
adjective
Being on or facing the left or right of something.
We went in through the side door.
Look in the side mirror before you change lanes.
UsageUse it before a noun: the side door.
Oppositemain
9
extra dishnouncolloquialCanadaPhilippinesUScountable or uncountable
A smaller dish of food served along with the main meal.
Like a small extra plate of food next to your main meal.
Do you want a side with your burger?
She ordered a salad as her side.
UsageSay a side of fries.
Similaraccompaniment
Note
10
nouncountable
The place right next to a person, often showing that you are there to keep them company, comfort them, or help.
Her husband stayed by her side all night at the hospital.
The puppy follows my son everywhere and never leaves his side.
UsageSay she stayed by his side.
11
nouncountable or uncountable
One of the straight edges of a flat shape, like a triangle.
Like the straight edges of a stop sign drawn on paper.
A triangle has three sides, and a square has four.
Measure each side of the square carefully.
12
flanknouncountable or uncountable
The part of your body between your chest and back, below your arm.
Like the part of you that hurts when you run too fast.
I have a sharp pain in my side.
He pressed the book against his side.
UsageSay I have a pain in my side.
Similarflank
Note
13
supportverbintransitive
To join one group and support it against another.
Like choosing which team to join in a game.
I always side with my little brother in arguments.
Don't side with the bullies.
UsageSay don't side with the bullies.
Similaragree, ally, align
Oppositeoppose
Note
14
family linenouncountable or uncountable
The part of your family that comes through one parent or relative.
Like one branch of your family tree.
She gets her red hair from her mom's side.
Red hair runs on my mother's side of the family.
UsageSay on my dad's side.
Similarline, lineage
Note

Less common meanings

15
nouncountable
The edge of a place such as a road, field, or room, or the part along it, away from the middle.
We pulled over to the side of the road to check the map.
The chairs were pushed to the sides of the room for the dance.
UsageSay we stopped at the side of the road.
Similaredge, border
Note
16
batters in inningnouncountable or uncountable
All the batters a pitcher faces during one inning of baseball.
The pitcher retired the side in order to end the inning.
He struck out the side in the seventh.
Note
17
cover wallsverbtransitive
To cover the outside walls of a building with flat boards or panels.
Crews side new houses in vinyl to keep costs down.
They sided the old barn with cedar planks last fall.
Similarclad, face, sheathe
18
recordnouncountable or uncountable
A recorded piece of music, especially a jazz record.
The band cut a new side at the studio downtown.
That old side still sounds warm on a record player.
Similarrecord, recording, track
Note
19
serve withverbtransitive
To serve a main dish together with an extra food on the side.
They side every burger with crispy fries here.
The chef sided the roast chicken with buttered greens.
UsageMost people say served with.
Similarpair, accompany, serve
20
spinnouncountable or uncountable
Spin put on a ball by hitting it off to one side, making it curve or kick.
Like a spinning top that drifts sideways as it turns.
She put a little side on the cue ball to swing it back into position.
Too much side sent the ball off its line.
Similarspin, english
Note
21
verbintransitive
To tilt or lean over toward one side.
Similarlean, tilt, tip, list
22
audition scriptnouncountable or uncountable
A short piece of script that an actor reads aloud at an audition.
The casting director handed each actor a side to read.
He got his sides just an hour before the audition.
Similarexcerpt, script
Note
23
conceitnoundateduncountable
A show of acting more important than you really are.
He walked in with so much side that nobody could stand him.
Theobald posed as the most ardent lover imaginable, but, to use the vulgarism for the moment in fashion, it was all “side.”
1903, Samuel Butler, The Way of All FleshHere, side means a show or pretence with nothing real behind it.
Similarpretension, conceit, airs, pomposity
Oppositemodesty, humility
Note
24
TV channelnoundatedAustraliaBritishIrelandcountable or uncountable
A television channel, especially one other than the one you are watching.
Put the other side on. There's nothing good on this one.
There's a good film on the other side tonight.
Similarchannel, station
Note
25
adjectivearchaicNorthern EnglandScotlandUK
Very wide or large, or long and hanging down low.
Hiz gooun had syde sleeuez dooun to midlegge, slit from the shooulder too the hand, & lined with white cotten.
1575, Robert Laneham, “The auncient Minstrell described”Here, syde means long and hanging down low.
Note
26
nouncountable
The part of a hill, mountain, or valley that slopes up or down.
Sheep were eating grass on the side of the hill.
Small houses were built up both sides of the valley.
UsageSay on the side of the hill or on the hillside.
Similarslope, flank
Note
27
nouncountable
One of the two parts of a record or tape that you play, and the music on it.
When the music stopped, she turned the record over to play the other side.
My favorite song is the first one on side two of the tape.
UsageSay side two of the record.
Note
28
nounslang
A man who, when having sex with other men, prefers not to have anal sex.
29
noun
A team of people who do morris dancing, a traditional English folk dance.
30
verb
To trim a wooden beam down to the right thickness by cutting its sides.
31
verb
To clean up and put things in their place.
32
adverbdialectalUK
Over a wide area, far and wide.
33
nounobsolete
In old math, the root of a number.
And 9 is said to be the Square, 27 the Cube of 3, which is call'd the Side of 9 and 27, &c.
1723, Edward Wells, The Young Gentleman's Arithmetick
34
verbobsolete
To be next to something.
His blind eye that syded Paridell.
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene
35
verbobsolete
To match or go well with something.
36
adjectivedialectalScotland
Far away.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of side apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–24, 26–27

From Old English sīde, meaning "side" or "flank." A modern LGBTQ slang sense was coined in 2010.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Side derives from Old English sīde, meaning side or flank. en.wiktionary.org
The LGBTQ slang sense was coined in 2010; Kort distinguishes its creation from its publication in 2013. psychologytoday.com

Meaning 25

From Old English sīd, meaning "wide" or "broad."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The second etymology of side derives from Old English sīd. en.wiktionary.org
Old English sīd meant wide or broad. en.wiktionary.org