behind

[bih-hahynd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR behind ON THESAURUS.COM

preposition

at or toward the rear of: Look behind the house.

not keeping up with, later than; after: behind schedule.

in the state of making less progress than: We can't afford to fall behind our competitors.

on the farther side of; beyond: behind the mountain.

originating, supporting, or promoting: Who's behind this program?

hidden or unrevealed by: Malice lay behind her smile.

at the controls of: behind the wheel of a car.

adverb

at or toward the rear; rearward: to lag behind.

in a place, state, or stage already passed.

in arrears; behindhand: to be behind in one's rent.

slow, as a watch or clock: more than 20 minutes behind.

as a cause or often latent feature of: Behind their harassment lay the traditional fear of foreigners.

in a situation that exists afterward: The victim left behind a large family.

Archaic. in reserve; to come: Greater support is yet behind.

adjective

following: the man behind.

noun

Informal. the buttocks.

Origin of behind

before 900; Middle English behinde(n), Old English behindan; for adv. suffix -an cf. before. See be-, hind¹

Synonym study

1, 2. Behind, after both refer to a position following something else. Behind applies primarily to position in space, and suggests that one person or thing is at the back of another; it may also refer to (a fixed) time: He stood behind the chair. You are behind the appointed time. After applies primarily to time; when it denotes position in space, it is not used with precision, and refers usually to bodies in motion: Rest after a hard day's work. They entered the room, one after another.

Usage note

See back¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for behind

trailing, laggard, slow, behindhand, bottom, backside, posterior, seat, tail, tush, can, fundament, rump, fanny, rear, breech, causing, backing, supporting, abaft

Examples from the Web for behind

Contemporary Examples of behind

Prosecutors wanted him to spend at least 10 years behind bars.
Abramoff’s Advice for Virginia’s New Jailhouse Guv
Tim Mak, Jackie Kucinich
January 7, 2015
He later accepted a plea deal that put him behind bars for 25 years.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro
Bill Conroy
January 6, 2015
He finished second in 2008 behind John McCain, and maintains a reservoir of good will among Republican social conservatives.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?
Lloyd Green
January 4, 2015
American spies have detailed dossiers on the North Koreans who the U.S. says were behind the Sony attack.
U.S. Spies Say They Tracked ‘Sony Hackers’ For Years
Shane Harris
January 2, 2015
Finally, he takes us behind the scenes into how Obama came out in favor of marriage equality that same year.
The Real Story Behind the Fight for Marriage Equality
E.J. Graff
December 30, 2014

Historical Examples of behind

But nevertheless he could not leave it behind since it was for this he had incurred his present peril.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
Then they heard fresh howls and yells in front as well as behind.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
Or else, in some barroom, a footfall from behind and a bullet through the back.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
Charles Merchant, the son of rich John Merchant, was behind the wheel.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
It seems to be the vice of those who have a long past behind them.
The New Adam and Eve (From "Mosses From An Old Manse")
Nathaniel Hawthorne

British Dictionary definitions for behind

behind

preposition

in or to a position further back than; at the rear of; at the back of

in the past in relation toI've got the exams behind me now

late according to; not keeping up withrunning behind schedule

concerning the circumstances surroundingthe reasons behind his departure

backing or supportingI'm right behind you in your application

adverb

in or to a position further back; following

remaining after someone's departurehe left it behind

in debt; in arrearsto fall behind with payments

adjective

(postpositive) in a position further back; retardedthe man behind prodded me

noun

informal the buttocks

Australian rules football a score of one point made by kicking the ball over the behind line between a goalpost and one of the smaller outer posts (behind posts)

Word Origin for behind

Old English behindan

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

Word Origin and History for behind

adv.

Old English behindan "behind, after," from bi "by" + hindan "from behind" (see hind (adj.)). The prepositional sense emerged in Old English. Euphemistic noun meaning "backside of a person" is from 1786. Phrase behind the times is from 1905. Behind the scenes (1711) is from the theater; figurative sense attested by 1779.

Idioms and Phrases with behind

behind

In addition to the idioms beginning with behind

behind bars
behind closed doors
behind in
behind someone's back
behind the eight ball
behind the scenes
behind the times
behind time

also see:

come from behind
drop behind
fall behind
get behind
power behind the throne
put behind one
wet behind the ears
with one arm tied behind one's back