derrière
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of derrière
1765–75; < French (preposition, noun); Old French deriere < Vulgar Latin *dē retrō, for Latin retrō towards the rear, backwards; cf. arrear
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s the least visible part of my body, yet I’ve had good reason lately to obsess about my gluteus maximus, my derrière, my whole imperfect situation back there.
From Slate ● Feb. 22, 2026
Which is how they find themselves stumbling off the twice-weekly bus to the derrière of nowhere, squinting at a dirt track that only seems to lead to more dirt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2023
When Ms. Deretsky illustrated Tiktaalik, she portrayed it with its derrière submerged in water, as the fossil’s back half was a mystery at the time.
From New York Times ● Apr. 29, 2022
Indeed, he might well come to the conclusion that it is the only way to keep his derrière out of jail.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 15, 2018
The actual scene in the warehouse was good: nice and tense and Michonne almost got her derrière handed to her.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 26, 2017
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
