by — near or next to someone or something
Part of speech: PREPOSITION
Definition: near or next to someone or something
Pronunciation (IPA): /baɪ/
Example Sentences
- I learned English by watching K-dramas with subtitles.
- My dog sits by the door every day at 5 PM, waiting for pizza delivery.
- By tomorrow, I promise to clean my room... or at least hide the mess.
by
PREPOSITION[/baɪ/]
near or next to someone or something

She sat quietly by the window, watching the rain fall.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Old English 'bi', the word evolved from Proto-Germanic with the original meaning 'near' or 'beside'. It developed into a fundamental preposition expressing spatial and temporal relationships in English.
Breakdown
bi (near/beside) → by. The word maintains its Proto-Germanic root denoting proximity and position.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“I learned English by watching K-dramas with subtitles.”
“My dog sits by the door every day at 5 PM, waiting for pizza delivery.”
“By tomorrow, I promise to clean my room... or at least hide the mess.”
“She passed by without saying hello.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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