Sides — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb phrase /ˈsīd/ (noun) /ˈbak-ˌsīd/ (noun)

Meaning & Definition of Sides

Sides (noun)

  1. the right or left part of the wall or trunk of the body
  2. one of the halves of the animal body on either side of the median plane
  3. a cut of meat including that about the ribs of one half of the body —used chiefly of smoked pork products
  4. swaggering or arrogant manner, pretentiousness
  5. the part of the body that a person sits on, buttocks
  6. the part of the body of a four-legged animal corresponding to the buttocks, rump
  7. the side or surface opposite the front or face of something, the farthest or reverse side, back

Sides (verb)

  1. to agree with, support
  2. to be side by side with
  3. to set or put aside, clear away

Sides (phrase)

  1. to laugh heartily
  2. to support one person or cause and not the other
  3. to decide which players will be on each team
  4. to divide a group into two teams that will play against each other —often used figuratively
  5. —used to refer to the people who support a position together with the people who support the opposing position
  6. to agree with or support one person, group, or cause and not another
  7. two things that are regarded as two parts of the same thing

Sides (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a place, space, or direction away from or beyond a central point or line

    "will everyone who wants to sign up for volleyball please stand off to this side of the gym?"

    similar: flanks, hands
    related: outsides, faces, tops, bottoms, feet, underbellies, underbodies, underparts, undersides, undersurfaces, lees, leewards, windwards, lefts, rights
    near: centers, insides, interiors, middles, midways

  2. a certain way in which something appears or may be regarded

    "examined the problem from all sides"

    similar: angles, aspects, facets, hands, phases
    related: airs, appearances, characters, colors, complexions, conditions, faces, looks, semblances, shapes, states, visages, periods, stages, steps, outlooks, perspectives, positions, postures, shoes, slants, stances, standpoints, viewpoints, views, interpretations, readings, renderings, translations, versions, articles, cases, components, counts, details, dimensions, elements, factors, instances, items, matters, particulars, parts, points, regards, respects

  3. a group of people acting together within a larger group

    "our side won, and the club will have a holiday party after all"

    similar: blocks, blocs, bodies, coalitions, factions, parties, sects, sets, wings
    related: splinters, splits, crews, gangs, packs, teams, denominations, persuasions, schisms, scissions, caucuses, movements

Sides (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in joins, ties

    similar: affiliates, allies, attaches, bands, bonds, clubs, collaborates, colludes, confederates, conjoins, connects, cooperates, couples, gangs, gets along, gets on, groups, interrelates, joins, knots, leagues, links, mingles, mixes, rallies, relates, socializes, teams, ties, weds, associates, chums, companies, consociates, consorts, fraternizes, hangs (around or out), hobnobs, hooks up, messes around, pals (around), runs, sorts, travels, befriends, friends
    opposite: avoids, cold-shoulders, shuns, snubs, alienates, estranges, breaks up, disbands, disperses, splits (up), disjoins, dissociates, disunites, divorces, severs, splits, sunders

  2. as in skins

    similar: skins, apparels, arrays, clothes, dresses, garbs, robes, embosoms, embowers, embraces, encases, encloses, encompasses, enshrouds, envelops, enwraps, invests, laps, mantles, shrouds, surrounds, swathes, veils, wraps, clads, faces, sheathes, blankets, overlays, overspreads
    opposite: bares, denudes, exposes, strips, unswathes

Related Entry: Side (noun)

Side is a different word from Sides. The synonyms below are for side, not for sides.

  1. a place, space, or direction away from or beyond a central point or line

    "will everyone who wants to sign up for volleyball please stand off to this side of the gym?"

    similar: flank, hand
    related: outside, face, top, bottom, foot, underbelly, underbody, underpart, underside, undersurface, lee, leeward, windward, left, right
    near: center, inside, interior, middle, midway

  2. a certain way in which something appears or may be regarded

    "examined the problem from all sides"

    similar: angle, aspect, facet, hand, phase
    related: air, appearance, character, color, complexion, condition, face, look, semblance, shape, state, visage, period, stage, step, outlook, perspective, position, posture, shoes, slant, stance, standpoint, view, viewpoint, interpretation, reading, rendering, translation, version, article, case, component, count, detail, dimension, element, factor, instance, item, matter, part, particular, point, regard, respect

  3. a group of people acting together within a larger group

    "our side won, and the club will have a holiday party after all"

    similar: bloc, block, body, coalition, faction, party, sect, set, wing
    related: splinter, split, crew, gang, pack, team, denomination, persuasion, schism, scission, caucus, movement

Related Entry: Sides (with) (verb)

Sides (with) is a different word from Sides. The synonyms below are for sides (with), not for sides.

  1. as in helps, props (up)

    similar: abets, aids, assists, helps, props (up), seconds, adopts, embraces, espouses, backstops, bolsters, boosts, buttresses, reinforces, advocates, backs, champions, endorses, patronizes, plumps (for), plunks (for), supports, advances, forwards, furthers, plugs, preaches, talks up, bails out, delivers, rescues, saves
    opposite: baffles, foils, frustrates, interferes, opposes, sabotages, thwarts, deserts, disappoints, fails, lets down

Related Entry: Split one's sides (phrase)

Split one's sides is a different word from Sides. The synonyms below are for split one's sides, not for sides.

  1. to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound

    "We split our sides every time we saw her comedy act."

    similar: break up, cackle, chortle, chuckle, crack up, giggle, hee-haw, laugh, roar, scream, snicker, titter, twitter
    related: grin, smile
    near: bawl, blubber, cry, sob, weep, howl, scream, squall, wail, yowl, bleat, pule, whimper, whine, sniffle, snivel, groan, moan, sigh

Related Entry: Splits one's sides (phrase)

Splits one's sides is a different word from Sides. The synonyms below are for splits one's sides, not for sides.

  1. to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound

    "We split our sides every time we saw her comedy act."

    similar: breaks up, cackles, chortles, chuckles, cracks up, giggles, hee-haws, laughs, roars, screams, snickers, titters, twitters
    related: grins, smiles
    near: bawls, blubbers, cries, sobs, weeps, howls, screams, squalls, wails, yowls, bleats, pules, whimpers, whines, sniffles, snivels, groans, moans, sighs

Related Entry: Splitting one's sides (phrase)

Splitting one's sides is a different word from Sides. The synonyms below are for splitting one's sides, not for sides.

  1. to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound

    "We split our sides every time we saw her comedy act."

    similar: breaking up, cackling, chortling, chuckling, cracking up, giggling, hee-hawing, laughing, roaring, screaming, snickering, tittering, twittering
    related: grinning, smiling
    near: bawling, blubbering, crying, sobbing, weeping, howling, screaming, squalling, wailing, yowling, bleating, puling, whimpering, whining, sniffling, sniveling, groaning, moaning, sighing

Related Entry: Split (verb)

Split is a different word from Sides. The synonyms below are for split, not for sides.

  1. to set or force apart

    "You should split logs now for a winter's supply of wood."

    similar: break up, decouple, disassociate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, part, ramify, resolve, separate, sever, sunder, uncouple, unlink, unyoke
    related: break down, decompose, disassemble, disintegrate, dissolve, bifurcate, bisect, cleave, dichotomize, dissect, fractionalize, fractionate, halve, partition, quarter, segment, subdivide, trisect, fragment, fragmentate, fragmentize, break, fracture, pull, rend, rift, rip, rive, rupture, tear, cut off, insulate, isolate, seclude, segregate, sequester, detach, disengage, disentangle, unravel, untie
    opposite: join, link, unify, unite
    near: assemble, associate, blend, combine, mingle, mix, connect, couple, accumulate, agglutinate, attach, bind, cement, close, fasten, fuse, knit, stick, weld

  2. to cause (people) to break up into opposing groups

    "The party split over which tax policy to endorse."

    similar: divide, polarize, separate, splinter
    related: fracture, fragment, alienate, disaffect, disgruntle, estrange, antagonize, embitter
    near: coalesce, unify, unite, conciliate, harmonize, reconcile, concentrate, consolidate

Related Entry: Split (on) (verb)

Split (on) is a different word from Sides. The synonyms below are for split (on), not for sides.

  1. to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities

    "promise you won't split on us, and we'll tell you what happened"

    similar: fink, grass (on) (British slang), inform, rat (on), sing, snitch, squeak, squeal, talk, tell (on), drop a dime (on)
    related: betray, give away, turn in, backstab, cross, double-cross, sell (out), two-time, blab, tattle, tip (off)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Sides

The most common words with a similar meaning to Sides:

flanks, hands, angles, aspects, facets, phases, blocks, blocs, bodies, coalitions, factions, parties, sects, sets, wings, affiliates, allies, attaches, bands, bonds, clubs, collaborates, colludes, confederates, conjoins, connects, cooperates, couples, gangs, gets along, gets on, groups, interrelates, joins, knots, leagues, links, mingles, mixes, rallies

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Sides

Words with the opposite meaning of Sides:

avoids, cold-shoulders, shuns, snubs, alienates, estranges, breaks up, disbands, disperses, splits (up), disjoins, dissociates, disunites, divorces, severs, splits, sunders, bares, denudes, exposes, strips, unswathes

Related Words for Sides

outsides, tops, bottoms, feet, underbellies, underbodies, underparts, undersides, undersurfaces, lees, leewards, windwards, lefts, rights, airs, appearances, characters, colors, complexions, conditions, looks, semblances, shapes, states, visages, periods, stages, steps, outlooks, perspectives

Near Antonyms of Sides

centers, insides, interiors, middles, midways

Word Forms of Sides

Inflections: sided, siding

Origin & Etymology of Sides

Middle English, from Old English sīde; akin to Old High German sīta side, Old English sīd ample, wide

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Sides

split one's sides, choose/pick sides, choose sides, on both sides, take sides, two sides of the same coin

Frequently Asked Questions about Sides

What does "Sides" mean?

"Sides" means the right or left part of the wall or trunk of the body. As an a noun, a verb and a phrase, it is defined as: the right or left part of the wall or trunk of the body. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Sides"?

Other words for "Sides" include flanks, hands, angles, aspects, facets, phases, blocks and blocs. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Sides" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Sides"?

There are 160 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Sides". Common alternatives include flanks, hands, angles, aspects, facets, phases, blocks, blocs, bodies and coalitions.

What is the opposite of "Sides"?

Antonyms of "Sides" include avoids, cold-shoulders, shuns, snubs, alienates, estranges, breaks up and disbands. Near antonyms include centers, insides, interiors and middles.

How do you use "Sides" in a sentence?

Examples of "Sides" in a sentence: "will everyone who wants to sign up for volleyball please stand off to this side of the gym?"; "examined the problem from all sides"; "our side won, and the club will have a holiday party after all".

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

"Sides" can be used as a noun, a verb and a phrase, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Sides"?

"Sides" is pronounced /ˈsīd/ as a noun and /ˈbak-ˌsīd/ as a noun.

What is the origin of the word "Sides"?

"Sides" comes from Middle English, from Old English sīde; akin to Old High German sīta side, Old English sīd ample, wide. First known use: before 12th century.