Meaning & use
inside
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Meanings
preposition
In or into the inner part of a place, container, or space.
Grammar: Takes a noun after it: inside the box, inside the room.
Patterns
- inside something
- inside the house
- inside a box
The keys are inside the drawer.
She walked inside the building and closed the door.
There was a small note inside the envelope.
adverb
Into or in the interior of a building or container.
Grammar: No noun follows: come inside, stay inside.
Patterns
- come inside
- go inside
- stay inside
It's raining; let's go inside.
He opened the box and looked inside.
The children were told to stay inside until the storm passed.
nounusually singular
The inner part or surface of something.
Grammar: Often used with 'the': the inside of the car; plural 'insides' means internal organs informally.
Patterns
- the inside of something
- on the inside
The inside of the house was warm and bright.
He wiped the inside of the windshield.
The inside of the fruit was soft and sweet.
adjectivebefore a noun
Located on or relating to the inner part; also, known only by people within a group.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: inside pocket, inside information.
Patterns
- inside pocket
- inside information
- inside page
He kept his passport in an inside pocket.
She had inside information about the deal.
The story was printed on the inside pages of the newspaper.
preposition
Within a period of time; in less than a stated amount of time.
Grammar: Used with time expressions: inside an hour, inside a week.
Patterns
- inside an hour
- inside a week
We should be there inside an hour.
He finished the whole project inside three days.
Common combinations
- inside out
- You're wearing your sweater inside out.
- inside information
- The reporter got inside information from a company employee.
- inside job
- The police think the robbery was an inside job.
- inside track
- She has the inside track on the new job because she knows the manager.
- on the inside
- He seems calm, but on the inside he's very nervous.
Synonyms and how they differ
- within
- Within is more formal and often used for time or limits: within an hour; inside is more common for physical spaces.
- indoors
- Indoors means inside a building, not outside; inside can also mean inside a container or a smaller space.
Opposites
Word family
- insider noun
- A person who belongs to a group and knows its secrets.
- inside adverb
- See main entry.
Commonly confused: inside or inside of?
inside vs inside of
In American English, 'inside of' is common in speech for time: inside of a week. In writing, 'inside' alone is usually enough.
Practice
The cat is hiding ______ the box.
Choose one answer.
Inside is the usual preposition for being in a container. 'Into' suggests movement, not position; 'within' is more formal and less common for a physical box; 'inside of' is possible in American speech but less standard in writing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inside”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.