underneath

1 of 2

preposition

un·​der·​neath ˌən-dər-ˈnēth 

1

a

: directly beneath

write the date underneath the address

b

: close under especially so as to be hidden

treachery lying underneath a mask of friendliness

wore a swimsuit underneath his slacks

2

: under subjection to

underneath

2 of 2

adverb

1

: under or below an object or a surface : beneath

2

: on the lower side

underneath adjective

Synonyms

Adverb

• below
• beneath
• under

Examples of underneath in a Sentence

Preposition

He hid the envelope underneath his coat.

She slipped a note underneath the door.

The ball rolled underneath the car.

He lives in the apartment underneath mine.

There was gum stuck underneath the table.

Underneath her calm exterior was a nervous woman with a hot temper.

They actually had a lot in common underneath their obvious differences.

Adverb

He wore a white sweater with a red shirt underneath.

She lifted up the rock and found ants crawling underneath.

The car had rust underneath.

Recent Examples on the Web

Preposition

Fine, who tied the knot with Cassie in 2019, commented a series of heart emojis underneath the post. —Escher Walcott, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025

Close inspection of these worlds has revealed hints that some of them might harbor significant amounts of water, potentially in the form of deep global oceans underneath hydrogen-rich atmospheres. —Dakotah Tyler, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025

Adverb

Slightly underneath is a black and white image of her and farm-to-table movement pioneer Alice Waters, who appears in her new show, With Love, Meghan. —Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 21 Feb. 2025

The remains of he and his wife were interred underneath. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Preposition

Middle English undernethe, preposition & adverb, from Old English underneothan, from under + neothan below — more at beneath

First Known Use

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing underneath

• the underneath
• underneath it all

Rhymes for underneath

• beneath
• bequeath
• neath
• sheath
• teeth
• wreath

Kids Definition

underneath

1 of 2 preposition

un·​der·​neath ˌən-dər-ˈnēth 

1

: right under

wore their bathing suits underneath their clothes

2

: under the control of

underneath

2 of 2 adverb

1

: under or below an object or an outside part

soaked through the jacket to the shirt underneath

2

: on the lower side

a pot blackened underneath