phrase. If a person or plan falls by the wayside, they fail or stop before they complete what they set out to do. Amateurs fall by the wayside when the going gets tough. A business lunch doesn't mean you have to let your healthy lifestyle fall by the wayside.

What does by the wayside mean?

by the wayside. : out of consideration : into a condition of neglect or disuse —usually used with fall.

Is it fall by the wayside or waist side?

This word in relation to the phrase, however, is incorrect and often mistaken for the correct word: wayside. Wayside is a noun meaning “to the side of something” or “landing adjacent to a road or path.” Used in the phrase “by the wayside” (often accompanied by the verb fall), it means a condition of neglect or disuse.