goodbye


Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

goodbye, cruel world

cliché An exclamation, note, or statement made immediately prior to one's death, especially by suicide. We felt as though we never had closure after Tom committed suicide. We never even knew he was contemplating taking his own life, and his note merely said "Goodbye, cruel world." The gunslinger lay on the ground, bleeding into the dust. "Goodbye, cruel world," he gasped with his last breath. And with that, he perished.
See also: cruel, world

say goodbye to (someone or something)

1. Literally, to say "goodbye" to someone when parting. Say goodbye to your mother before you leave!
2. To lose or end something, especially suddenly; to be forced to accept such a loss or end. You were caught drinking on school property? Well, you can say goodbye to your brand new car, mister! After the final horse lost its race, I said goodbye to all the money I'd won that day at the track. You do realize that you'll be saying goodbye to all the benefits the company has to offer if you decide to work as a freelancer?
See also: goodbye, say

wave goodbye to (someone or something)

1. Literally, to wave to someone when parting. Wave goodbye to your friends, sweetie. They're at the window.
2. To lose or end something, especially suddenly; to be forced to accept such a loss or end. You were caught drinking on school property? Well, you can wave goodbye to your brand new car, mister! After the final horse lost its race, I waved goodbye to all the money I'd won that day at the track. You do realize that you'll be waving goodbye to all the health insurance benefits the company has to offer if you decide to work as a freelancer?
See also: goodbye, wave

can kiss (something) goodbye

Can be assured of losing or having lost something, such as an opportunity or a physical object. This phrase usually suggests the speaker's frustration or disillusionment. Well, I can kiss that job goodbye—the interview was a total disaster. I have five roommates, so if you leave unlabeled food in the fridge, you can pretty much kiss it goodbye.
See also: can, goodbye, kiss

kiss (someone or something) goodbye

1. Literally, to give one a kiss when parting. Hold up, come kiss your mother goodbye before you leave!
2. To lose or end something, especially suddenly; to be forced to accept such a loss or end. You were caught drinking on school property? Well, you can kiss your brand new car goodbye, mister! After my horse lost in the final race, I kissed all the money I'd won that day at the track goodbye. You do realize that you'll be kissing all your benefits goodbye if you decide to work as a freelancer, right?
See also: goodbye, kiss

kiss goodbye to (someone or something)

1. Literally, to give one a kiss when parting. Hold up, come kiss goodbye to your mother before you leave!
2. To lose or end something, especially suddenly; to be forced to accept such a loss or end. You were caught drinking on school property? Well, you can kiss goodbye to your brand new car, mister! After my horse lost the final race, I kissed goodbye to all the money I'd won that day at the track. You do realize that you'll be kissing goodbye to all the benefits the company has to offer if you decide to work as a freelancer?
See also: goodbye, kiss

good-bye and good riddance

Said when one is pleased about the end or departure of someone or something. Well, I didn't want to talk to you anyway, so good-bye and good riddance! A lot of voters are prepared to say "good-bye and good riddance" to her at the end of her term.
See also: and, good, riddance

goodbye for now

A casual valediction. OK, it's past my bedtime. Good-bye for now. Good-bye for now, folks. Have a good night.
See also: goodbye, now

(goodbye) until next time

A casual valediction. OK, it's past my bedtime. Good-bye until next time. Until next time, folks. Have a good night.
See also: next, time, until

Good-bye and good riddance.

Cliché a phrase marking the departure of someone or something unwanted. Fred: Supposing I was to just walk out of here, just like that? Mary: I'd say good-bye and good riddance. As the garbage truck drove away, carrying the drab old chair that Mary hated so much, she said, "Good-bye and good riddance. "
See also: and, good, riddance

kiss goodbye to something

or

say goodbye to something

COMMON If you have to kiss goodbye to or say goodbye to something good, you have to accept the fact that you will stop having it or will never have it After my injury, I felt sure I'd have to kiss goodbye to my dancing career. If he loses this match, he can say goodbye to his dreams of being world champion.
See also: goodbye, kiss, something

kiss something goodbye (or kiss goodbye to something)

accept the certain loss of something. informal
See also: goodbye, kiss, something

kiss/say goodˈbye to something

,

kiss something goodˈbye

(informal) give up hope of getting something that you want very much: You’ll have to say goodbye to your chances of becoming a doctor if you don’t pass the exams. ♢ After this letter from the bank, we can kiss goodbye to our trip to Australia.
See also: goodbye, kiss, say, something

kiss goodbye

Informal To be forced to regard as lost, ruined, or hopeless: She can kiss her vacation plans goodbye.
See also: goodbye, kiss
References in periodicals archive ?
She breathes life into her mother in The Long Goodbye, a literary resurrection befitting the wise and gentle woman who graces these pages.
The Long Goodbye
Goodbye Madame Butterflyis a loose compilation of women's biographies: abused and heartbroken ("Washoi!"); betrayed but complacent ("Joint Venture"); betrayed and subservient ("Red Circles"); self-abusive and craving ("The Fix"); and rationalizing of her mistreatment by men ("The Mannequin").
Goodbye Madame Butterfly: Sex, Marriage and the Modern Japanese Woman
He said: "The atmosphere has been quite leisurely today with everyone saying goodbye.
MONTHS OF UNCERTAINTY AT AN END AS WORKERS LEAVE
Goodbye to the field And the tree we all know, Goodbye to the playground, It's time for me to go.
Daily Poem
Now we say goodbye to Welsh Labour, in fact Labour in Wales has never been a district Welsh party.
Letter: yourLETTERS - Welsh lament
The sisters won out, though, and as the time carne to say their final goodbyes, they shocked some in the central Indiana congregation a bit: As they took their leave, each sister bent down to kiss the face of her dead brother.
I bless dead people: despite our desire to keep death at a distance, Catholic tradition encourages us to honor the bodies of the faithful departed with a holy touch
Goodbye to the Brooklyn Jew-boos and the boys from Des Moines
Goodbye Tuscaloosa
As we waved goodbye to Manhattan and Lady Liberty, I thought about my preconceptions.
R Family reunion: a straight mom tells us why she's setting her sights on another "Rosie" cruise
Imani in Never Say Goodbye is not another cheesy teen novel.
Adventures in growing up: the latest book in Jackie Hardrick's self-published Imani series keeps the drama of teen angst in perspective
Variety is provided by some collaboration with others, most notably the shuffle funk of So Much Time, and the heart-wrenching live cut Goodbye Kelly Goodbye.
Contagious album showcases a guitarist playing through his pain
Rose, Catholic commentator and investigative journalist, whose latest book Goodbye! Good Men picks up where the Curtiss controversy left off, and is even more startling in its revelations.
The "lavender mafia". (Book Review)
He was retiring after the Series, and fans were saying goodbye to him as it appeared likely that it would be O'Neill's last appearance in Yankee pin-stripes.
Parting shot. (Here Below)
Their two worlds collide as Bibiane, escaping her watery grave, sets out to say goodbye to her victim.
Maelstrom
Wide-scale flooding will occur along both the Eastern and Western seaboards of North America, the west coast of Europe, and many inhabited islands and lowlands (goodbye Holland, goodbye Bangladesh!).
Canada's 'shell game'
You might think it would be enough to commend a departing companion to the care of an omnipotent deity, as in "good-bye," which is shorthand for "god be with you." But compared to the competition, "goodbye" has come to sound dismissive or even impertinent.
The Civility Glut
Idioms browser ?
Full browser ?