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To be in a state of extreme emotional distress, often due to worry, anger, or excitement.
The news left him beside himself with grief.
The news caused him to feel overwhelming sadness.
She was beside herself with joy when she found out she was accepted to her dream university.
She was extremely happy and excited about getting into her dream university.
This phrase is often used to describe someone who is so emotionally overwhelmed that they seem to lose control of themselves.
This phrase is used to describe strong emotions, so it's often paired with words like 'worry,' 'joy,' or 'anger.'
Always use 'beside oneself' with a prepositional phrase (e.g., 'beside oneself with worry') to indicate the specific emotion.
The phrase originates from the idea of being so emotionally affected that one's mind or spirit is separated from the body, as if standing beside oneself.
This idiom is commonly used in informal contexts to describe intense emotional reactions. It is often followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the cause of the emotion (e.g., 'beside oneself with worry').