wayside
gb/wˈeɪsˌaɪd/ us/wˈeɪsˌaɪd/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
literary
C1
entity
1
the side of a road
the ground next to a road
Usage pattern:
the wayside; at/on the wayside
Common mistake:
Learners often use the more common word roadside instead of wayside; wayside is less common outside set phrases.
Synonyms
roadside (More common in everyday speech and writing.)
|
verge (Often refers to the grassy edge of a road, especially in UK English.)
|
shoulder (Common in North American English; often the paved edge used for stopping.)
Antonyms
roadway (The main part of the road where vehicles drive, not the edge.)
Collocations
the wayside
|wayside flowers
|wayside ditch
|wayside stand
|wayside memorial
|wayside rest area
|wayside stop
|wayside shrine
|wayside cross
|wayside vegetation
Themes
travel
|places
|transport
Examples
- Wildflowers grew thick along the wayside in early summer.
- They pulled over and ate lunch on the wayside, away from traffic.
- A small memorial stood by the wayside where the accident happened.
Learner examples
- There were trees along the wayside.
- We stopped on the wayside to rest.
adjective
literary
C1
property
2
located beside a road
next to a road
Usage pattern:
wayside [inn/cafe/shrine/sign/memorial]
Common mistake:
Wayside is usually used before a noun (wayside inn), not as a standalone adjective (not: 'the inn is wayside').
Synonyms
roadside (The standard modern adjective for 'by the road'.)
Collocations
wayside inn
|wayside cafe
|wayside shrine
|wayside station
|wayside stop
|wayside sign
|wayside memorial
|wayside chapel
|wayside market
|wayside trees
Themes
travel
|places
|transport
Examples
- They stayed the night at a quiet wayside inn.
- A wayside shrine marked the entrance to the village.
- We stopped at a wayside cafe for coffee.
Learner examples
- We ate at a wayside cafe.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wayside
IPA
GB/wˈeɪsˌaɪd/
US/wˈeɪsˌaɪd/
Syllables & stress
way - side (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (way)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: wayside
- Comparative: waysider
- Superlative: waysidest
Noun
- Base: wayside
- Plural: waysides
Expressions
by the wayside
1/bˈaɪ ðə wˈeɪsˌaɪd/
idiom
abandoned or no longer done
stopped and forgotten
Examples
- During the busy season, exercise often gets left by the wayside.
- As budgets tightened, several smaller projects were pushed by the wayside.
- Some traditions have fallen by the wayside in recent years.
fall by the wayside
1/fˈɔl bˈaɪ ðə wˈeɪsˌaɪd/
idiom
stop or fail before the end
To not continue or succeed, often because it is too hard or other things seem more important.
Examples
- Several smaller projects fell by the wayside during the merger.
- Many good intentions fall by the wayside after a few weeks.
fall by the wayside
1/fˈɔl bˈaɪ ðə wˈeɪsˌaɪd/
idiom
fail or get abandoned
stop because of failure or neglect
Examples
- A lot of New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside by February.
- Without enough funding, the proposal quickly fell by the wayside.
- Several students fell by the wayside when the course became more demanding.
go by the wayside
1/ɡˈoʊ bˈaɪ ðə wˈeɪsˌaɪd/
idiom
be dropped or forgotten
stop doing something or stop following a plan
Examples
- When the deadline moved up, careful planning went by the wayside.
- As the company expanded, the informal culture started to go by the wayside.
- Once the crisis hit, long-term goals went by the wayside.