goodbye
6 synonyms and 1 antonyms for goodbye, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Intj — A word used to say farewell when someone is leaving.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use goodbye
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
A contraction of the older phrase "God be with ye," gradually shortened over centuries; "God" shifted to "good" by analogy with phrases like "good morning" and "good night."
Full origin of goodbye →Frequently asked questions
What does “goodbye” mean?
The word “goodbye” means a word used to say farewell when someone is leaving. In plain terms, the standard word for saying farewell.
How do you pronounce “goodbye”?
“Goodbye” is pronounced guud-BEYE (/ɡədˈbaɪ/ in IPA).
How do you use “goodbye” in a sentence?
Here is “goodbye” used in a sentence: “She waved goodbye as the train pulled away.”
What is the opposite of “goodbye”?
The opposite of “goodbye” — its antonyms — is hello.
What part of speech is “goodbye”?
Depending on how it is used, “goodbye” can be an intj and a noun.
Is “goodbye” a common word?
“Goodbye” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “goodbye” have?
“Goodbye” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a word used to say farewell when someone is leaving.
What is the difference between "goodbye" and "farewell"?
Both are said when parting, but "farewell" is more formal, old-fashioned, or emotional, often used for a long or final parting. "Goodbye" is the everyday, neutral choice for most situations.
Is "goodbye" formal or informal?
"Goodbye" is neutral and works in most situations, from casual to fairly formal. In very casual speech people often shorten it to "bye" or "bye-bye," while "farewell" sounds distinctly more formal.
How is "goodbye" spelled and punctuated?
The standard spelling is "goodbye," though "good-bye" and "good bye" also appear, especially in older or American texts. As a noun it can be pluralized, as in "saying their goodbyes."
Can "goodbye" be used as a noun?
Yes. Besides being a parting word, "goodbye" is a noun meaning the act of saying farewell, as in "it was a tearful goodbye" or "they said their goodbyes at the station."