An utterance of goodbye, the wishing of farewell to someone.
"He stood at the door and offered a warm goodbye before turning back inside."
In plain English: Goodbye is what you say when leaving someone so they know you are not coming back right now.
"She waved and offered her final goodbye before getting on the bus."
Usage: Use this noun when referring specifically to the act or sound of saying farewell rather than using it as a verb in formal writing. It is often interchangeable with "farewell" but carries a more casual, conversational tone.
To say goodbye; to wish somebody farewell on parting.
"She waved her hand and said a cheerful goodbye as she left the party."
In plain English: To say goodbye is to tell someone you are leaving them for now.
"I will have to say goodbye now because my flight leaves soon."
Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing.
"She whispered a soft goodbye as she stepped out of the taxi and headed toward the airport."
Goodbye originated as a shortened form of "God be with you." Over time, people confused the word "God" with "good," leading to its modern analysis as "good" plus "bye.