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REFERENCE

aside

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //əˈsaɪd// UK //ɐsˈaɪd// aside General-service

n. a short comment that an actor says to the audience but the other characters on stage are not supposed to hear. It can also be a quick remark you make that is separate from the main topic you are talking about.

n. a remark made by a character in a play intended to be heard by the audience but supposedly unheard by other characters on stage. By extension, it refers to a brief digression or incidental remark within a larger conversation or text.


SIMPLE

The actor turns to the audience to make a funny aside.

CONTEXTUAL

During the intense dinner scene, the protagonist shares a sarcastic aside that reveals his true feelings about the guests.

COMPLEX

The author frequently interrupts the narrative with a witty aside, providing historical context that enriches the reader's understanding of the setting without stalling the plot's momentum.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English aside, asyde, a-side, oside, from Middle English on side, from Old English on sīdan (literally “on (the) side (of)”), equivalent to a- + side. Compare beside.

Usage

Often used with the verb 'make' or 'deliver'. In literary contexts, it may be introduced by the preposition 'in' ('in an aside').

Idioms6 entries

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