adj · adv · noun · prep · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˌʌndəˈniːθ/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada:/ˌʌndɚˈniθ/
US:/ˌʌndɚˈniθ/
US:/ˌʌndɚˈnið/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːθ
rhymes with -iːð
CMU ARPABET:AH2 N D ER0 N IY1 TH
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Under, lower.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
You can have the underneath bunk.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
Below; in a place beneath.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
I can't take my sweater off: I amn't wearing anything else on underneath.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
On the underside or lower face.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
The bottom of something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
The underneath of the aircraft was painted blue.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A background radio sound track played during a specific announcement or program.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
prep
Meaning 6
Under, below, beneath.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Underneath the water, all was calm.
We flew underneath the bridge.
We looked underneath the table.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
prep
Meaning 7
Under the control or power of.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
There was little freedom underneath the Nazi jackboot.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adverb
Meaning 8
under or below an object or a surface; at a lower place or level; directly beneath
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we could see the original painting underneath
a house with a good foundation underneath
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
adverb
Meaning 9
on the lower or downward side; on the underside of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a chest of drawers all scratched underneath
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English undernethe, undernethen, from Old English underneoþan (“underneath”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *underniþer. Equivalent to under- + neath.
Across languages
Translations
101 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
долен
(dolen)
— under, lower
Chickasaw:
nota'
— under, lower
Finnish:
alempi
— under, lower
Finnish:
ala-
— under, lower
Finnish:
alapuolinen
— under, lower
French:
du dessous
— under, lower
French:
d'en dessous
— under, lower
Hindi:
नीचे
(nīce)
— under, lower
Turkish:
altı
— under, lower
Turkish:
alt kısmı
— under, lower
Ottoman Turkish:
آشاغی
(aşağı)
— under, lower
Arabic:
تَحْت
(taḥt)
— below; in a place beneath
Arabic:
أَسْفَل
(ʔasfal)
— below; in a place beneath
Bulgarian:
долу
(dolu)
— below; in a place beneath
Catalan:
sota
— below; in a place beneath
Chamicuro:
yajkana
— below; in a place beneath
Chickasaw:
nota'
— below; in a place beneath
Esperanto:
malsupre
— below; in a place beneath
Faliscan:
ifra (ifra)
— below; in a place beneath
Finnish:
alla
— below; in a place beneath
Finnish:
alapuolella
— below; in a place beneath
French:
dessous
— below; in a place beneath
German:
unten
— below; in a place beneath
Hungarian:
alatt
— below; in a place beneath
Irish:
ar íochtar
— below; in a place beneath
Latin:
subtus
— below; in a place beneath
Latin:
subter
— below; in a place beneath
Navajo:
bitłʼáahgi
— below; in a place beneath
Navajo:
bitłʼáahdi
— below; in a place beneath
Navajo:
biyaagi
— below; in a place beneath
Navajo:
biyaadi
— below; in a place beneath
Polish:
pod spodem
— below; in a place beneath
Portuguese:
abaixo
— below; in a place beneath
Romanian:
sub
— below; in a place beneath
Serbo-Croatian:
ispod
— below; in a place beneath
Serbo-Croatian:
pod
— below; in a place beneath
Spanish:
abajo
— below; in a place beneath
Turkish:
altında
— below; in a place beneath
Turkish:
altı
— below; in a place beneath
Ottoman Turkish:
آشاغی
(aşağı)
— below; in a place beneath
Arabic:
تَحْت
(taḥt)
— on the underside or lower face of
Arabic:
أَسْفَل
(ʔasfal)
— on the underside or lower face of
Bulgarian:
отдолу
(otdolu)
— on the underside or lower face of
Catalan:
sota
— on the underside or lower face of
Chickasaw:
nota'
— on the underside or lower face of
Finnish:
alla
— on the underside or lower face of
Finnish:
alapuolella
— on the underside or lower face of
German:
unten
— on the underside or lower face of
Hungarian:
alatt
— on the underside or lower face of
Middle Low German:
under
— on the underside or lower face of
Middle Low German:
undene
— on the underside or lower face of
Middle Low German:
dāle
— on the underside or lower face of
Middle Low German:
nēden
— on the underside or lower face of
Polish:
pod spodem
— on the underside or lower face of
Spanish:
por debajo
— on the underside or lower face of
Finnish:
alapuoli
— the part under or lower
Finnish:
alaosa
— the part under or lower
French:
dessous
— the part under or lower
Hindi:
निचला
(niclā)
— the part under or lower
Polish:
spód
— the part under or lower
Polish:
dół
— the part under or lower
Russian:
ни́жняя сторона́
(nížnjaja storoná)
— the part under or lower
Spanish:
bajos
— the part under or lower
Turkish:
altı
— the part under or lower
Ottoman Turkish:
آشاغی
(aşağı)
— the part under or lower
Finnish:
tunnussävel
— background sound track
Finnish:
tunnari
— background sound track
Arabic:
تَحْت
(taḥt)
— under, below, beneath
Arabic:
أَسْفَل
(ʔasfal)
— under, below, beneath
Bulgarian:
под
(pod)
— under, below, beneath
Catalan:
sota
— under, below, beneath
Chickasaw:
nota'
— under, below, beneath
Czech:
pod
— under, below, beneath
Finnish:
alla
— under, below, beneath
Finnish:
alta
— under, below, beneath
Finnish:
alle
— under, below, beneath
Finnish:
alapuolella
— under, below, beneath
Finnish:
alapuolelta
— under, below, beneath
Finnish:
alapuolelle
— under, below, beneath
French:
en dessous
— under, below, beneath
French:
dessous
— under, below, beneath
French:
sous
— under, below, beneath
German:
unterhalb
— under, below, beneath
Hindi:
नीचे
(nīce)
— under, below, beneath
Irish:
faoi bhun
— under, below, beneath
Latin:
sub
— under, below, beneath
Polish:
pod
— under, below, beneath
Portuguese:
por baixo
— under, below, beneath
Russian:
под
(pod)
— under, below, beneath
Spanish:
bajo
— under, below, beneath
Tocharian B:
ñor
— under, below, beneath
Turkish:
alt
— under, below, beneath
Catalan:
sota
— under the control or power of
Czech:
vespod
— under the control or power of
Finnish:
alla
— under the control or power of
Finnish:
alaisuudessa
— under the control or power of
French:
sous
— under the control or power of
Portuguese:
sob
— under the control or power of
Russian:
под
(pod)
— under the control or power of
Spanish:
bajo
— under the control or power of
Turkish:
emri altında
— under the control or power of