underneath
Americanpreposition
-
below the surface or level of; directly or vertically beneath; at or on the bottom of.
-
under the control of; in a lower position in a hierarchy of authority.
Underneath the department heads are the junior executives.
-
hidden, disguised, or misrepresented, as by a false appearance or pretense.
Underneath his bluster is a timid nature.
adverb
adjective
noun
preposition
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of underneath
before 900; Middle English undernethe, Old English underneothan. See under, beneath
Vocabulary lists containing underneath
"Eleven"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Eleven," Vocabulary from the short story
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: under-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
While developing the season, Reid says he became increasingly interested in the gap between the public version of Lestat and the person underneath it.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2026
The surface of the water offered a clearer picture of what was above it—the sky, the monuments—than what was underneath.
From Slate • Jun. 19, 2026
Minutes later, a 5.4 tremor shook the ground underneath his feet.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
He said defence was "the thread underneath everything now" and the incidents showed "why resilience matters".
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
The floor rumbled underneath me as the very walls around us shuddered and creaked, sending torrents of rock dust down onto millions of dollars’ worth of equipment.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Definitions 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.
