by-and-by

1 of 2

noun

ˌbī-ən-ˈbī How to pronounce by-and-by (audio)
Synonyms of by-and-bynext
: a future time or occasion

by and by

2 of 2

adverb

: before long, soon

Synonyms

Noun

Adverb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of by-and-by in a Sentence

Noun we shall meet again in the by-and-by Adverb we'll get under way by and by
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
The character giving that agonizing scream on the dragon, by and by, is Lady Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia). — James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1526, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of by-and-by was in 1526

Rhymes for by-and-by

See All Rhymes for by-and-by

Browse Nearby Words

by-and-by
by and by
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“By-and-by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by-and-by. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

by-and-by

1 of 2 noun
ˌbī-ən-ˈbī
: a future time or occasion

by and by

2 of 2 adverb
ˌbī-ən-ˈbī
: before long, soon
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All