Underneath
prepositionIn or to a position directly below or beneath something.
How to spell underneath
10 letters · 3 syllables
How to pronounce underneath
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does underneath mean?
- prepositionIn or to a position directly below or beneath something.
- adverbAt a lower level or below, without naming what is above.
Underneath in a sentence
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preposition
She found the missing keys underneath a stack of old newspapers.
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adverb
He lifted the rug to see what was hidden underneath.
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preposition
The cat likes to sleep underneath the warm radiator.
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adverb
The surface looked smooth, but the rot underneath was severe.
Where does underneath come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
This word comes straight from Old English, where it appeared as underneoðan, a compound of under, meaning 'below' or 'beneath', and neoðan, meaning 'from below'. The element neoðan is related to nether, the old word for 'lower' that survives in phrases like 'the nether regions', so underneath literally doubles up the idea of lowness, packing 'under' and 'below' into one word. The word has been part of English since before the Norman period, which is why it feels so plain and native rather than borrowed. The spelling preserves that 'neath' ending, the same one that lurks in the poetic word 'neath' itself. The main trap for writers is the silent run of letters at the end, since the spoken word offers no clear cue for the 'ea' before the final 'th'.
How the word is built
- under- (below)
- neath (from Old English neoþan: from below)
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