beneath

[ bih-neeth, -neeth ]
See synonyms for beneath on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. below; in or to a lower place, position, state, or the like.

  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.

  1. lower down on a slope than: beneath the crest of a hill.

  2. inferior or less important, as in position, rank, or power: A captain is beneath a major.

  3. unworthy of; below the level or dignity of: to regard others as beneath one; behavior that was beneath contempt.

Origin of beneath

1
before 900; Middle English benethe,Old English beneothan, equivalent to be-be- + neothan below, akin to Old High German nidana.See nether

synonym study For beneath

3. See below.

Opposites for beneath

Words Nearby beneath

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use beneath in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for beneath

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

Origin of beneath

1
Old English beneothan, from be- + neothan low; see nether

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