By — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

preposition adverb noun adjective interjection /ˈbī/

Meaning & Definition of By

By (preposition)

  1. in proximity to, near
  2. into the vicinity of and beyond, past
  3. through or through the medium of, via

By (adverb)

  1. past
  2. at or to another's home
  3. close at hand, near

By (noun)

  1. something of secondary importance, a side issue

By (adjective)

  1. being off the main route, side
  2. incidental

By (interjection)

  1. —used to express farewell—often used with following now

By (preposition) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. along the way of

    "went by the woods to get to the summer cottage"

    similar: through, via, by way of
    related: across, along, alongside, beyond, near, nearby, over, below, beneath, under, underneath, outside, past, throughout

  2. using the means or agency of

    "try to convince them by reason alone, if possible"

    similar: in, per, through, via, with, by dint of, by means of, by virtue of

  3. close to

    "that house is right by the ocean"

    similar: about, around, near, next to, nigh, next door to
    related: alongside, beside, across, along, at, circa, toward

  4. in the course of

    "she attends college by day and works at the club by night"

    similar: amid, during, over, pending, through, throughout

By (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. at, within, or to a short distance or time

    "the library is close by"

    similar: around, close, hard, in, near, nearby, nigh, at close quarters, at hand, on one's doorstep, within call
    related: hereabouts, hereaway (dialect), thereabouts, along, alongside, accessibly, conveniently, handily

Related Entry: By-and-by (noun)

By-and-by is a different word from By. The synonyms below are for by-and-by, not for by.

  1. time that is to come

    "we shall meet again in the by-and-by"

    similar: future, futurity, hereafter, offing, tomorrow
    related: eventuality, finality, posterity
    opposite: past
    near: yesterday, yesteryear, antiquity, old, yore, moment, now, present, today

Related Entry: By and by (adverb)

By and by is a different word from By. The synonyms below are for by and by, not for by.

  1. at or within a short time

    "we'll get under way by and by"

    similar: anon, before long, directly, momentarily, presently, shortly, soon
    related: forthwith, immediately, incontinently, instantaneously, instantly, now, promptly, pronto, right away, right now, right off, straightaway, straightway

Related Entry: By and large (adverb)

By and large is a different word from By. The synonyms below are for by and large, not for by.

  1. for the most part

    "by and large, that information is accurate"

    similar: altogether, basically, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, mostly, overall, predominantly, primarily, principally, substantially, in general, on the whole
    related: about, more or less, most, much, near, nearly, next to, nigh, practically, some, virtually, well-nigh, approximately, broadly, plus or minus, roughly, commonly, frequently, normally, ordinarily, typically, usually, incompletely, partially, partly, rather, somewhat
    near: completely, entirely, fully, perfectly, thoroughly, totally, wholly, barely, hardly, just, marginally, minimally, scarcely, absolutely, categorically, unqualifiedly

Related Entry: By-blow (noun)

By-blow is a different word from By. The synonyms below are for by-blow, not for by.

  1. an illegitimate child

    "prior to his election as pope, Alexander VI fathered four by-blows, including the notorious siblings Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia"

    similar: love child, whoreson (archaic)

Related Entry: By-product (noun)

By-product is a different word from By. The synonyms below are for by-product, not for by.

  1. something that naturally develops or is developed from something else

    "hydrogen is one by-product of that chemical reaction"

    similar: derivate, derivation, derivative, offshoot, outgrowth, spin-off
    related: descendant, aftermath, consequence, corollary, development, fruit, growth, issue, outcome, product, result, sequel, sequence, upshot, denouement, repercussion, aftereffect, side effect, copy, duplicate, facsimile, replica, reproduction
    opposite: origin, root, source
    near: archetype, original, prototype, antecedent, cause, determinant, occasion, reason

Related Entry: By a long shot (phrase)

By a long shot is a different word from By. The synonyms below are for by a long shot, not for by.

  1. by a considerable margin

    "He knew he wouldn't be able to make it on time by a long shot."

    similar: far and away, head and shoulders, by all odds, by far, by half
    related: decidedly, definitely, really, undoubtedly, unquestionably, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially, well
    near: barely, hardly, just, marginally, scarcely, slightly, minimally, minutely

Related Entry: By all means (phrase)

By all means is a different word from By. The synonyms below are for by all means, not for by.

  1. without any question

    "By all means, order whatever you'd like on the menu."

    similar: all right, alright, assuredly, certainly, clearly, definitely, doubtless, easily, forsooth, hands down, inarguably, incontestably, incontrovertibly, indeed, indisputably, plainly, really, so, sure, surely, truly, unarguably, undeniably, undoubtedly, unquestionably, by all odds, damn well, for certain, for sure
    related: conceivably, likely, perhaps, possibly, probably, obviously, unmistakably

Related Entry: By all odds (phrase)

By all odds is a different word from By. The synonyms below are for by all odds, not for by.

  1. without any question

    "He was, by all odds, the best player on the team."

    similar: all right, alright, assuredly, certainly, clearly, definitely, doubtless, easily, forsooth, hands down, inarguably, incontestably, incontrovertibly, indeed, indisputably, plainly, really, so, sure, surely, truly, unarguably, undeniably, undoubtedly, unquestionably, by all means, damn well, for certain, for sure
    related: conceivably, likely, perhaps, possibly, probably, obviously, unmistakably

  2. by a considerable margin

    "She should, by all odds, be taking home the gold this year."

    similar: far and away, head and shoulders, by a long shot, by far, by half
    related: decidedly, definitely, really, undoubtedly, unquestionably, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially, well
    near: barely, hardly, just, marginally, scarcely, slightly, minimally, minutely

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for By

The most common words with a similar meaning to By:

through, via, in, per, with, about, around, near, next to, nigh, amid, during, over, pending, throughout, by way of, by dint of, by means of, by virtue of, next door to, close, hard, nearby, at close quarters, at hand, on one's doorstep, within call

Related Words for By

across, along, alongside, beyond, below, beneath, under, underneath, outside, past, beside, at, circa, toward, hereabouts, hereaway, thereabouts, accessibly, conveniently, handily

Word Forms of By

Inflections: byes

Origin & Etymology of By

Middle English, preposition & adverb, from Old English, preposition, be, bī; akin to Old High German bī by, near, Latin ambi- on both sides, around, Greek amphi

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for By

Words & Phrases Containing By

bye, by all means, by all odds, by a long shot, by-and-by

Frequently Asked Questions about By

What does "By" mean?

"By" means in proximity to, near. As an a preposition, an adverb, a noun, an adjective and an interjection, it is defined as: in proximity to, near. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "By"?

Other words for "By" include through, via, in, per, with, about, around and near. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "By" you intend.

What are different ways to say "By"?

There are 47 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "By". Common alternatives include through, via, in, per, with, about, around, near, next to and nigh.

How do you use "By" in a sentence?

Examples of "By" in a sentence: "went by the woods to get to the summer cottage"; "try to convince them by reason alone, if possible"; "that house is right by the ocean".

Is "By" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"By" can be used as a preposition, an adverb, a noun, an adjective and an interjection, depending on the context.

Is "By" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "By" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "By"?

"By" is pronounced /ˈbī/.

What is the origin of the word "By"?

"By" comes from Middle English, preposition & adverb, from Old English, preposition, be, bī; akin to Old High German bī by, near, Latin ambi- on both sides, around, Greek amphi. First known use: before 12th century.