underneath

[ uhn-der-neeth, -neeth ]
See synonyms for: underneathunderneaths on Thesaurus.com

preposition
  1. below the surface or level of; directly or vertically beneath; at or on the bottom of.

  2. under the control of; in a lower position in a hierarchy of authority: Underneath the department heads are the junior executives.

  1. hidden, disguised, or misrepresented, as by a false appearance or pretense: Underneath his bluster is a timid nature.

adverb
  1. below; at a lower level or position; on the underside.

adjective
  1. lower; situated below or under.

noun
  1. the bottom; underside; lowest part.

Origin of underneath

1
before 900; Middle English undernethe,Old English underneothan.See under, beneath

Words Nearby underneath

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use underneath in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for underneath

underneath

/ (ˌʌndəˈniːθ) /


preposition, adverb
  1. under; beneath

adjective
  1. lower

noun
  1. a lower part, surface, etc

Origin of underneath

1
Old English underneothan, from under + neothan below; related to Old Danish underneden; see beneath

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012