beneath

[bih-neeth, -neeth]

adverb

1. below; in or to a lower place, position, state, or the like.

   Antonyms: above

2. underneath.

   heaven above and the earth beneath.

preposition

1. below; under.

   beneath the same roof.

2. farther down than; underneath; lower in place than.

   The first drawer beneath the top one.

3. lower down on a slope than.

   beneath the crest of a hill.

4. inferior or less important, as in position, rank, or power.

   A captain is beneath a major.

5. unworthy of; below the level or dignity of.

   to regard others as beneath one; behavior that was beneath contempt.

beneath

/ bɪˈniːθ /

preposition

1. below, esp if covered, protected, or obscured by

2. not as great or good as would be demanded by

   beneath his dignity

adverb

1. below; underneath

Word History and Origins

Origin of beneath¹

before 900; Middle English benethe, Old English beneothan, equivalent to be- be- + neothan below, akin to Old High German nidana. See nether

Word History and Origins

Origin of beneath¹

Old English beneothan , from _be- + neothan low; see _nether

Synonym Study

See below.

Example Sentences

The lure was quick cash, but beneath their bravado was something more predatory - boys as young as their early teens had been effectively groomed into crime.

From BBC

But there is still a worry that the official case numbers are merely the tip of the iceberg – and a fear of what may lie beneath the surface.

From BBC

The daisies beneath him are crying — unhappy to be driven on.

From Los Angeles Times

Other eyewitnesses said that chaos ensued, as people scattered in panic or tried to save the lives of people trapped beneath the rubble.

From BBC

A hot late-summer breeze blows across a Burbank parking lot as Lorde sits beneath a tattered canopy outside the rehearsal studio where she’s preparing for her latest world tour.

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What is a basic definition of beneath?

Beneath is a preposition that means below or under. Beneath can also describe something that is unworthy of someone. Less commonly, beneath is used as an adverb to mean below or underneath.If something is positioned beneath something else, it is under or below it. Beneath is not used as often as words such as below or under. Beneath is most often used when describing a location underground or underneath a surface. In a similar sense, beneath can mean something is lower or farther down than something else.

• Real-life examples: You can stand beneath an umbrella to keep the rain off you. The G key is beneath the T key on a typical QWERTY keyboard.



• Used in a sentence: The pirate treasure was buried in the sand beneath two palm trees.

Beneath can also describe something that is considered unworthy of someone or their dignity.

• Used in a sentence: My rich aunt thinks that shopping at a grocery store is beneath her.

Beneath can also be used as an adverb to describe something as happening below or underneath something.

• Used in a sentence: The dojo master sat on the upper balcony and watched his students training beneath.