Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Synonyms
Nearby Words

beside oneself

 - 2 dictionary results

be⋅side

  [bi-sahyd]
Use beside oneself in a Sentence
–preposition
1. by or at the side of; near: Sit down beside me.
2. compared with: Beside him other writers seem amateurish.
3. apart from; not connected with: beside the point; beside the question.
4. besides (defs. 4, 5).
–adverb
5. along the side of something: The family rode in the carriage, and the dog ran along beside.
6. besides (def. 2).
—Idiom
7. beside oneself, almost out of one's senses from a strong emotion, as from joy, delight, anger, fear, or grief: He was beside himself with rage when the train left without him.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME; earlier bi-siden, OE bī sīdan, be sīdan; see be-, side

Usage note:
For the prepositional meanings “over and above, in addition to” and “except” besides is preferred, especially in edited writing: Besides these honors he received a sum of money. We heard no other sound besides the breaking surf. However, beside sometimes occurs with these meanings as well.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To beside oneself
Idioms & Phrases

beside oneself

In a state of extreme agitation or excitement, as in She was beside herself when she found she'd lost her ring, or Peter was beside himself with joyhe'd won the poetry award. This phrase appears in the New Testament (Acts 26:24): "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning makes thee mad." [Late 1400s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see beside oneself on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way