by and by

9 7.1

After a while

idiom

Literature

: poco a poco

We shall all meet, by and by.
by and by we get
understand it all by and by
by and by, I'll fly

So I think of course, some of that is very computer intensive, but I think by and by we will find ways of making our models ever more realistic.

Autoplay Next

Examples

By and by, the phone rang, and I was dismissed.

Fiction book (1995)
By and by, we came out for our break and the other chaps started up a game of tag.

Fiction book (1996)
I will come to my mother by and by.

Hamlet (1990)
Then I will come to my mother by and by.

Hamlet (1948)
We'll understand it better by and by.

Academic text (1993)
They'll be here by and by.

Tess (1979)
By and by, that's where we all go.

Wendy (2020)
By and by, Sam would think to ask, "Have you seen Delia?"

Fiction book (1995)
By and by, I padded into the kitchen to make some coffee.

Fiction book (1990)
We will figure it out by and by, once things settle down.

Synonyms

eventually

vsby and by

∞ 3.0

After a long time

is the simpler phrase for future time without implying long delays

someday

vsby and by

∞ 1.0

At some time in the future

is the neutral phrase for eventual future without implying long term

sometime

vsby and by

791 2.2

At a time that is not known, in the past or future

is limited to future time rather than past or future uses

yet

vsby and by

737 1.0

At some time in the future

is the general future phrase without stressing current nonoccurrence

in time

vsby and by

491 3.5

After some time has passed, not right away

expresses the same eventual happening but with more casual phrasing

down the road

vsby and by

188 3.7

At a time in the future

is the neutral expression for eventual future without informal tone

down the line

vsby and by

92 4.4

At some point in the future

is similar but slightly more old-fashioned or idiomatic in tone

before long

vsby and by

56 1.6

It happens soon

refers to future time without implying it will be soon

by-and-by

vsby and by

Archaic

1 8.9

A time in the future after a while

is identical in meaning but written without hyphens

later

vsby and by

1.0

At a time after now or after a time already said

is more about an eventual outcome rather than a simple subsequent moment

Antonyms

never

∞ 1.0

At no time in the past or future, not ever

How Soon

immediately

∞ 1.0

soon

∞ 1.0

by and by

Literature

9 7.1

eventually

∞ 3.0

Surface Forms

by and by positive

Morphology

by + and + by

The phrase 'by and by' is an idiomatic/reduplicative time adverb meaning 'eventually' or 'after a while' and this meaning is not transparently built from the literal senses of 'by' and 'and'. Knowing the words 'by' and 'and' does not allow a B1 learner to predict the temporal sense, and the construction is somewhat archaic and language-specific rather than compositional.

Etymology

By and by may come from repeating the small word by to show time moving in tiny steps. So, with the image of time passing 'little by little', the phrase came to mean 'eventually'.