beneath
pronunciation
How to pronounce beneath in British English:
UK [bɪˈniːθ]
How to pronounce beneath in American English:
US [bɪˈniːθ]
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- Adverb:
- in or to a place that is lower
Word Origin
- beneath
- beneath: [OE] Beneath is a compound adverb and preposition, formed in Old English from bi ‘by’ and nithan or neothan ‘below’. This came originally from Germanic *nith- (also the source of nether [OE]), a derivative of the base *ni- ‘down’.=> nether
- beneath (adv., adj.)
- Old English beneoðan "beneath, under, below," from be- "by" + neoðan "below," originally "from below," from Proto-Germanic *niþar "lower, farther down, down" (see nether). Meaning "unworthy of" is attested from 1849 (purists prefer below in this sense). "The be- gave or emphasized the notion of 'where,' excluding that of 'whence' pertaining to the simple niðan" [OED].
Antonym
Example
- 1. A major component beneath the reactor may be damaged .
- 2. But beneath the waves , there are worrying signs .
- 3. They simply wait on their boards for a wave to rise up beneath them .
- 4. But beneath the pretty surface lurks danger !
- 5. My foe outstretched beneath the tree .