Advertisement
Advertisement
behind
[ bih-hahynd ]
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.
behind
/ bɪˈhaɪnd /
preposition
- in or to a position further back than; at the rear of; at the back of
- in the past in relation to
I've got the exams behind me now
- late according to; not keeping up with
running behind schedule
- concerning the circumstances surrounding
the reasons behind his departure
- backing or supporting
I'm right behind you in your application
adverb
- in or to a position further back; following
- remaining after someone's departure
he left it behind
- in debt; in arrears
to fall behind with payments
adjective
- postpositive in a position further back; retarded
the 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 )
Usage Note
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of behind1
Idioms and Phrases
- 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
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Have you tried to access the research that your tax dollars finance, almost all of which is kept behind a paywall?
Not to be left behind, progressives in neighboring Wisconsin clamored to join the cutting edge of public health.
I think a lot of it has to do with the attitude and the energy behind it and the honesty.
Other major news outlets made the same decision, hiding behind a misplaced sense of multicultural sensitivity.
Prosecutors wanted him to spend at least 10 years behind bars.
Joe looked at her with a smile, his face still solemn and serious for all its youth and the fires of new-lit hope behind his eyes.
More soldiers crowded into the cave and Professor-Commander Krafft came in behind them.
In treble, second and fourth, the first change is a dodge behind; and the second time the treble leads, there's a double Bob.
The Seven-score and four on the six middle Bells, the treble leading, and the tenor lying behind every change, makes good Musick.
I seized the opportunity to watch what I supposed would be a most interesting interview, from behind a curtain.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse