INSIDE Definition & Meaning

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inside

[ preposition in-sahyd, in-sahyd; adverb in-sahyd; noun in-sahyd; adjective in-sahyd, in-, in-sahyd ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

preposition

on the inner side or part of; within: inside the envelope.
inside the circle;
inside the envelope.
prior to the elapse of; within:
He promised to arrive inside an hour.

adverb

in or into the inner part:
Please go inside.
indoors:
They play inside on rainy days.
within one's heart, reason, etc.; by true nature; fundamentally:
I know inside that he's not guilty.
Inside, she's really very shy.
Slang. in prison.

noun

the inner or internal part; interior:
the inside of the house.
Antonyms: ,
the inner side or surface: He pinned the money to the inside of his jacket.
the inside of the hand;
He pinned the money to the inside of his jacket.
insides ( def 1 ).
a select or inner circle of power, prestige, etc.:
a man on the inside.
the shortest of several parallel, curving tracks or lanes; the part of an oval track closest to the inner rail:
The horse came up fast on the inside.
the inward nature, mind, feelings, etc.
Slang. confidential or secret information.
an inside passenger or place in a coach, carriage, etc.

adjective

situated or being on or in the inside; interior; internal:
an inside seat.
acting, employed, done, or originating within a building or place:
He used to work on the dock but now he has an inside job.
derived from the inner circle of those concerned in and having private knowledge of a situation:
inside information.
Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing between home plate and the batter:
The pitch was low and inside.

inside

noun

the interior; inner or enclosed part or surface
the side of a path away from the road or adjacent to a wall
informal.
also plural the internal organs of the body, esp the stomach and bowels
inside of
in a period of time less than; within
inside out
with the inside facing outwards
know something inside out
to know something thoroughly or perfectly

preposition

in or to the interior of; within or to within; on the inside of

adjective

on or of an interior; on the inside
an inside door
prenominal arranged or provided by someone within an organization or building, esp illicitly
inside information
the raid was an inside job

adverb

within or to within a thing or place; indoors
by nature; fundamentally
inside, he's a good chap
slang.
in or into prison

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Usage

See outside

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of inside¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; in, side ¹

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Idioms and Phrases

inside of, Informal. within the space or period of:
Our car broke down again inside of a mile.
inside out,
1. with the inner side reversed to face the outside.
2. thoroughly: completely:
  She knew the work inside out.

More idioms and phrases containing inside

on the inside
step in (inside)

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Synonym Study

Inside, interior both refer to the inner part or space within something. Inside is a common word, and is used with reference to things of any size, small or large: the inside of a pocket. Interior, somewhat more formal, denotes the inner part or the space or regions within; it usually suggests considerable size or extent, and sometimes a richness of decoration: the interior of a country, of the earth, of a cathedral.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"You can see it in my face, in my eyes. There's nobody there. I'm just lifeless inside."

From

Three days later, former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman was the victim of an armed robbery that took place with his family inside their Maple Valley, Wash., home when the break-in took place.

From

And inside the Trump White House, nobody can seem to get the story straight.

From

There are plenty of people in and around the precinct, which is in the heart of the town, trying to get inside to park or visit shops and businesses.

From

As air pressure in the chamber decreased, the air inside the teacakes expanded until the chocolate cracked and the mallow filling puffed out.

From

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More About Inside

What does inside mean?

Inside means on the inner side of something, such as a box or your refrigerator.��

Inside designates physical space, like the interior of a book, but it can also be used in situations about time. If your teacher tells the class that you need to finish the test inside of an hour, they mean you need to finish it in less than, or within, an hour. When the hour has gone by, you have to be done the test.

Inside can be used to mean indoors, as in Because it rained, we were stuck inside during our vacation.

Inside can also be used to describe the position of something. For example, an inside wall refers to the face of a wall that faces the interior of a building.

The inside of something is its interior. The inside of a house is the interior, while your insides is everything beneath the skin, such as your skeleton and organs.

Example: The inside of the building was sleek and modern, while the outside looked like an old church.

Where does inside come from?

The first records of the term inside come from the mid-1300s. It combines the terms in, which is used to indicate inclusion within something, and side, referring to a surface of something.

Inside has some slang uses as well. If you want to say someone is in prison, you can say they are inside. But a person on the inside refers to someone in a position of power within a group who is secretly loyal or helpful to someone who is not part of that group. Inside information is information known only to those within an organization that outsiders are not supposed to know.

The phrase inside out refers to something whose insides are now facing out, such as with a sock. But if you know something inside out, you know something completely. You know both its external portions and structure and its inner, complex workings. If you keep studying the dictionary, you’ll eventually know words inside out and be a language insider!

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to inside?

insider (noun)

What are some synonyms for inside?

What are some words that share a root or word element with inside?��

What are some words that often get used in discussing inside?

How is inside used in real life?

Inside is a very common word with several meanings.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy our Sounds of the Week for an exclusive look inside the win over Buffalo.

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles)

Inside the home dressing room… 👕👀

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)

I finished a 5 mile walk back at my dock. There was & all inside an hour. My gear was the

— Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers)

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Try using inside!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for inside?

A. interior
B. innards
C. outside
D. indoors

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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