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3. beside oneself

beside oneself

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beside oneself (with something)

Fig. in an extreme state of some emotion. I was beside myself with joy. Sarah could not speak. She was beside herself with anger.

See also: beside

beside oneself

In a state of extreme agitation or excitement, as in She was beside herself when she found she'd lost her ring, or Peter was beside himself with joy-he'd won the poetry award. This phrase appears in the New Testament (Acts 26:24): "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning makes thee mad." [Late 1400s]

See also: beside