By: meaning, definitions and examples
👫
by
[ baɪ ]
in a certain place
Used to show the place where someone or something is: She is sitting by the window. They live by the river. There is a small table by the bed.
Synonyms
beside, close to, near, next to
Examples of usage
- He stood by the door, waiting for her to arrive.
- The cat is hiding by the tree.
- The bookshelf is by the wall.
- We took a walk by the beach.
- She left her bag by the chair.
close
Used to indicate proximity or distance: Come by and visit us sometime. I'll stop by the store on my way home.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- I'll drop by your office later today.
- Let's swing by the park before heading home.
- She passed by the cafe on her way to work.
secondary means
A secondary or incidental issue or consideration: The main issue is the budget, but the lack of staff is also a factor to consider, though it is just a by.
Synonyms
incidental, secondary, side issue
Examples of usage
- The by of the situation is the limited resources available.
- Don't let the by distract you from the main goal.
Translations
Translations of the word "by" in other languages:
🇵🇹 por
- ao lado de
- até
🇮🇳 द्वारा
- पास
- तक
🇩🇪 durch
- neben
- bis
🇮🇩 oleh
- di samping
- hingga
🇺🇦 через
- біля
- до
🇵🇱 przez
- obok
- do
🇯🇵 によって
- そばに
- まで
🇫🇷 par
- à côté de
- jusqu'à
🇪🇸 por
- al lado de
- hasta
🇹🇷 tarafından
- yanında
- kadar
🇰🇷 에 의해
- 옆에
- 까지
🇸🇦 بواسطة
- بجانب
- حتى
🇨🇿 přes
- vedle
- do
🇸🇰 cez
- vedľa
- do
🇨🇳 通过
- 旁边
- 直到
🇸🇮 s strani
- poleg
- do
🇮🇸 með
- við hliðina á
- til
🇰🇿 арқылы
- жанында
- дейін
🇬🇪 მიერ
- გვერდით
- მდე
🇦🇿 tərəfindən
- yanında
- qədər
🇲🇽 por
- al lado de
- hasta
Etymology
The word 'by' originated from the Old English word 'bī'. It has been used in English for centuries to indicate proximity, location, or secondary considerations. Over time, 'by' has evolved to be used in various contexts and has become an essential preposition in the English language.