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

McCauley may have married beneath her station, but Gordon-Levitt has obsessive fans.

From The Daily Beast

So for the 12 years he spent at Aldgate, Chaucer was mostly alone, with a teeming urban scene literally beneath his feet.

From The Daily Beast

The train was already in motion as she tried to step inside, and her body was crushed beneath it.

From The Daily Beast

And there are a few nice things buried beneath the rubble that I could use in my apartment.

From The Daily Beast

But beneath all the shiny esteem, the 25-year-old Wright led a seedy double life.

From The Daily Beast

Two young lovers were exchanging their hearts' yearnings beneath the children's tent, which they had found unoccupied.

From Project Gutenberg

She looked up in his face, leaning on his arm beneath the encircling shadow of the umbrella which he had lifted.

From Project Gutenberg

Now, the whole Northwest groaned beneath a cast-iron prohibition law at that time, and for some years thereafter.

From Project Gutenberg

Some of those halls that Mr. Meadow Mouse mentioned ran right out beneath the surface of the garden.

From Project Gutenberg

During this conversation Harry's right hand was resting beneath his jacket, grasping the butt of his revolver.

From Project Gutenberg