Definition
Overcome; consumed by an emotion.
Origins
Possibly derived from Ancient Greek παράνοια (paránoia, “madness”), from παράνοος (paránoos, “demented”), from παρά (pará, “beyond, beside”) + νόος (nóos, “mind, spirit”), with "beside mind" evolving into "beside oneself".
In Context
- "His widow was beside herself with grief."
- "[...] he contemplated it most calmly. Comparatively, all other men, North and South, were beside themselves."