by
by — adverb
1. used to say that something or someone moves past, especially without stopping; o
used to say that something or someone moves past, especially without stopping; or that time goes past; also used to say that someone or something is close at hand.
Marcus waved as the school bus drove by without stopping.
motion verb + by: drove by, walked by, ran by
Two whole years went by before Lina saw her cousin again.
time + go by: years/days/hours went by
Please stop by Mrs. Chen's bakery and pick up a loaf of sourdough.
stop by = visit briefly
A police officer stood close by, watching the busy crowd.
close by = nearby, located near at hand
Carlos sat quietly while the long parade marched by.
- go by
- walk by
- drive by
- fly by
- stop by
- close by
- stand by
Grammar Patterns
go/walk/drive/run + by
stop + by
Usage Note
Frequently follows a motion verb (go, walk, drive, run, fly, march) or time noun (years, days, hours). 'Close by' and 'near by' express location; 'stop by' means to visit briefly without staying long.
Common Mistakes
by and by
idiomafter a short while; before too much time has passed.
By and by, the rain stopped and the children ran outside to play.
by and large
idiomlooking at the whole situation, without focusing on small exceptions.
By and large, the new restaurant on Maple Street has been a great success.
by — preposition
1. in passive sentences, marking which person, animal, or thing actually carried ou
in passive sentences, marking which person, animal, or thing actually carried out the action.
The garden gate was painted bright red by Marcus last weekend.
passive verb + by + named agent
Lina's wallet was stolen by a thief on the crowded train.
Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare more than four hundred years ago.
by + creator of a work
The lamp was knocked over by the cat during the night.
Our class is taught by Ms. Tanaka every Tuesday morning.
- written by
- directed by
- painted by
- caused by
- made by
- through
marks an intermediary rather than the direct doer
Grammar Patterns
passive verb + by + agent
Usage Note
Almost always follows a passive verb. The noun after 'by' is the doer; mention it only when you want the reader to know who did the action.
Common Mistakes
2. naming the means, tool, or action through which something happens or is achieved
naming the means, tool, or action through which something happens or is achieved.
Maya travels to school by bus every morning.
by + means of transport (no article)
You can pay the bill by credit card or in cash.
Carlos passed the exam by studying two hours every night.
by + -ing for method
I sent the photos by email so they would arrive faster.
The little boy held his mother by the hand and smiled.
by + the + body part
- by car
- by bus
- by train
- by plane
- by email
- by phone
- by hand
- by chance
- by mistake
- by accident
Grammar Patterns
by + noun (means/method)
by + -ing
Usage Note
With transport and communication ('by bus', 'by email'), drop the article. With body parts ('by the arm', 'by the hand'), keep 'the'. Distinguish from sense 1: here 'by' tells the reader HOW, not WHO.
Common Mistakes
3. right next to a place, person, or thing, with very little space between them.
right next to a place, person, or thing, with very little space between them.
Sarah sat by the window and watched the rain fall.
by + the + location noun
There is a small bakery by the train station on Oak Street.
The Watanabe twins played by the river all afternoon, skipping flat stones across the water.
Marcus stood by his sister during the family photo.
Please leave the heavy book boxes by the back door for the movers.
- by the window
- by the door
- by the river
- by the sea
- by the road
- stand by
- sit by
- far from
opposite of immediate closeness
Grammar Patterns
by + place noun
Usage Note
Suggests immediate closeness, often touching or within arm's reach — closer than 'near'. Typically used with a stationary object or person, not a route or means (compare sense 2).
Common Mistakes
4. at some point before the time mentioned, and not after it.
at some point before the time mentioned, and not after it.
Please send your scholarship application to Dr. Patel by Friday at noon.
by + specific deadline
Marcus had finished all his homework by eight o'clock.
past perfect + by + clock time
Our tour group must leave the hotel by ten to catch the Capri ferry.
Aunt Rosa's leaking kitchen roof should be repaired by the end of next week.
By the time Lina arrived, the meeting was already over.
by the time + clause
- by Monday
- by Friday
- by tomorrow
- by tonight
- by the end of
- by the time
- by noon
- by midnight
- before
very close, but 'by' more often suggests an exact cut-off
- no later than
more formal; common in written deadlines
- after
opposite direction in time
Grammar Patterns
by + time/date
Usage Note
Means 'no later than' — the action can happen earlier, but not after. Distinguish from 'until', which describes a continuous action lasting up to that point: 'work until 5' (keep working) vs 'finish by 5' (be done).
Common Mistakes
5. introducing the size of a difference, gap, or change between two values, or stat
introducing the size of a difference, gap, or change between two values, or stating the two measurements of a flat object such as a rug or room.
House prices in Taipei rose by ten percent last year.
rise/fall + by + amount of change
Marcus is taller than his brother by about five centimetres.
The kitchen rug is two metres by three metres.
[length] by [width] for measurements
Our team lost the basketball final by just three points.
win/lose + by + margin
Lina won the race by less than a second.
- increase by
- rise by
- fall by
- drop by
- grow by
- win by
- lose by
- miss by
- beat by
Grammar Patterns
verb + by + amount
[number] by [number]
Usage Note
After verbs of change ('rise by', 'increase by', 'fall by'), the noun after 'by' names the size of the change, not the new total. The dimension pattern '[length] by [width]' uses no article. Distinguish from sibling sense 7 'PER UNIT' (paid by the hour, charged by the day): that sense fixes a rate of payment per unit of time, whereas this sense reports a one-off gap or measurement.
Common Mistakes
6. sitting between two copies of the same word, in the fixed pattern 'X by X', to s
sitting between two copies of the same word, in the fixed pattern 'X by X', to say that change builds up steadily one X at a time (day by day, step by step, little by little).
Day by day, Marcus grew stronger after his surgery.
fixed pattern: noun + by + same noun
The flood waters rose minute by minute as the storm continued.
Little by little, Lina learned to speak Mandarin without an accent.
fixed phrase: little by little
Step by step, the team rebuilt the old wooden bridge.
Year by year, the quiet fishing village of Hualien has become a popular tourist town.
- day by day
- step by step
- little by little
- minute by minute
- year by year
- one by one
- side by side
- bit by bit
- gradually
single adverb, not the X-by-X pattern
- all at once
the change happens in a single moment, not in stages
Grammar Patterns
noun + by + (same) noun
Usage Note
Only works in the fixed pattern 'X by X' with the same noun repeated (day by day, step by step, little by little). Distinguish from sense 5: there 'by' precedes a single amount; here it sits between two copies of the same word and signals gradual progress.
Common Mistakes
7. in the pattern 'by the + [time or quantity unit]', stating the unit on which som
in the pattern 'by the + [time or quantity unit]', stating the unit on which something is paid, charged, or counted, or noting that a change happens on every fresh unit (by the hour, by the day, by the kilo).
Marcus was paid by the hour at the bookshop on Hamilton Street.
by + the + [unit of time] for rate of payment
The flood waters were rising by the minute, so Lina ran upstairs.
by the minute showing rapid change
Aunt Rosa felt stronger by the day after leaving the hospital.
by the day showing gradual change
The taxi driver charges by the kilometre once you leave the city centre.
Visitor numbers at the museum grew by the week during the summer.
- by the hour
- by the minute
- by the day
- by the week
- by the dozen
Grammar Patterns
happen + by + the + [time unit]
Usage Note
Almost always followed by 'the' plus a singular time unit (the hour, the day). Distinguish from sense 5 'AMOUNT' (by + amount of difference) and sibling sense 6 'RATE OF CHANGE' (improving day by day) — this sense answers 'how often' or 'on what unit' something is counted or paid.
Common Mistakes
8. during a particular part of the day, or while a particular condition holds — typ
during a particular part of the day, or while a particular condition holds — typically in the fixed pairings 'by day' and 'by night'.
Marcus works in a quiet office by day and plays jazz by night.
by day / by night contrast
The narrow cobbled streets of old Lisbon felt completely different by night.
by night without article
Owls hunt by night and sleep in tall pine trees by day.
By day the fishing village looked sleepy, but the harbour buzzed at sunset.
fronted 'by day' opening a contrast
- by day
- by night
- work by day
- travel by night
Grammar Patterns
by + day / night
Usage Note
Restricted almost entirely to the set phrases 'by day' and 'by night' with no article. Distinguish from sibling sense 4 'NOT LATER THAN' ('by Monday' = deadline): this sense names the period something happens within, not a cut-off point.
Common Mistakes
9. naming the area — job, inborn character, or origin — that explains why a descrip
naming the area — job, inborn character, or origin — that explains why a description fits a person, as in 'a teacher by profession' or 'shy by nature'.
Carlos is a teacher by profession but a poet at heart.
by profession naming someone's job
Lina is shy by nature and prefers small dinner parties.
by nature describing inborn character
Dr. Tanaka is Japanese by birth but grew up in São Paulo.
by birth giving origin
Marcus is a doctor by training but works as a journalist now.
by training showing what someone studied
The mayor is a lawyer by training and still reads court papers for fun.
- by profession
- by trade
- by nature
- by birth
- by training
- by upbringing
- in terms of
looser paraphrase: 'in terms of training' = 'by training'
Grammar Patterns
by + nature / profession / trade / birth
Usage Note
Follows a noun phrase and takes a bare noun (no article): 'by profession', 'by nature', 'by trade', 'by birth', 'by training'. Often appears after 'be + indefinite noun' or contrasts two facts about a person ('a teacher by profession but a poet at heart').
Common Mistakes
10. in the fixed expressions 'fine by me', 'OK by me', 'all right by Lisa', etc., us
in the fixed expressions 'fine by me', 'OK by me', 'all right by Lisa', etc., used to say that someone has no objection and is happy for the thing to go ahead.
If Marcus wants to skip dessert and go for a walk, that's fine by me.
fine by + person showing agreement
Moving the meeting to Friday is all right by Lina, but check with Dr. Tanaka.
all right by + person
'Shall we order pizza tonight?' 'OK by me — I'm starving.'
OK by me in casual reply
Sharing the prize money equally is fine by everyone on the quiz team.
- fine by me
- OK by me
- all right by me
- fine by us
Grammar Patterns
fine / OK / all right + by + [person]
Usage Note
Only works after 'fine', 'OK', 'all right', and a few similar approval words; you cannot extend it to other adjectives ('happy by me' is wrong). Often replies to a proposal. Distinguish from sense 1 'AGENT' (passive 'done by me'): this sense expresses approval, not authorship.
Common Mistakes
by and large
idiomwhen you look at something as a whole and ignore small exceptions; for the most part.
By and large, the students enjoyed Ms. Tanaka's history lessons this term.
The new café is, by and large, cheaper than the one across the street.
by the way
idiomused before adding a small piece of information that is not the main topic of what you are saying.
By the way, Marcus called earlier and asked about the weekend trip.
Lina, by the way, your brother left her jacket on our sofa.
by oneself
idiomalone, with nobody else helping or being present.
Carlos painted the entire bedroom by himself in one afternoon.
The little girl walked to school by herself for the first time today.
by far
idiomused with a comparative or superlative to say that the difference is very large.
This bakery makes by far the best apple pie in our neighbourhood.
Marcus is by far the tallest player on the basketball team.
by accident
idiomwithout planning or meaning to; in a way that was not intended.
Lina deleted the holiday photos by accident while cleaning her phone.
We met an old classmate at the airport completely by accident.
by heart
idiomremembered perfectly in your memory, so you can repeat it without looking.
Maya knows the lyrics of every Taylor Swift song by heart.
The young actor learned his lines by heart before the rehearsal.
by the by/bye
idiomThis phrase is used to add a new topic or ask a question that is not connected to the current conversation.
By the by, did you finish reading the book I lent you?
By the bye, Maya told me she is moving to London next month.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: preposition/3
When you want to say that one thing is right next to another, English offers several close prepositions. 'By' is the shortest and most flexible — it suggests immediate closeness without fuss, often touching or within easy reach: 'Sarah sat by the window.' 'Beside' carries the same meaning but feels a touch more careful and is common in writing; 'a small lamp beside the bed' sounds slightly more polished than 'by the bed'. 'Next to' is the most everyday, conversational option and emphasises direct adjacency: 'The bakery is next to the train station.' 'Near' is looser — the two things are close but not necessarily touching, and could be several metres apart: 'a hotel near the beach' may be a short walk away. 'Alongside' suggests two things stretched out parallel to each other, often a person beside another person doing something together: 'She worked alongside her brother on the farm.'
Common collocations
Nouns
- by car
- by bus
- by train
- by plane
- by hand
- by email
- by phone
- by mistake
- by chance
- by accident
- by profession
- by nature
- by trade
- by birth
- by night
- by day
Adverbs
- right by
- just by
- close by
- nearby
- directly by
Phrases
- by and large
- by the way
- by far
- by heart
- by oneself
- by all means
- side by side
- step by step
- day by day
- little by little
- by the time
- by the end of
- fine by me
- OK by me
Prepositions
- by from (× — never combine these)
- by until (× — choose one)
Etymology
'By' grew out of Old English 'bi' (sometimes 'be'), an unstressed function word meaning 'near, about, or alongside'. It was a close cousin of words for 'about' and 'around' across the older Germanic languages, including Old Saxon and Old High German 'bi' and Gothic 'bi'. The same root sits behind the prefix 'be-' in modern words such as 'beside', 'before' and 'between', so 'by' originally pointed to closeness in space. Over the centuries that core sense of 'right next to' branched out: from physical nearness to motion past a point ('walked by'), to means and instrument ('by hand', 'by train'), to the doer of a passive action ('written by'), and to deadlines ('by Friday'). All these uses fan out from one old idea — being close, in space, time, or cause.