Meanings
- Beneath; below; at or to the bottom of, or the area covered or surmounted by.
We found some shade under a tree.
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Quick, stuff the cash under the mattress!
There is nothing new under the sun.
There is an oil leak under the car.
The little boys in the front bedroom had thrown off their blankets and lay under the sheets.
1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter 1, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLCNanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall. Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 14, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC - From one side of to the other, passing beneath.
I crawled under the fence.
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There is a tunnel under the English Channel.
- Less than.
Interest rates are now under 1%.
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We can get there in under an hour.
If you're under age 55 or so, urinary symptoms may be the result of inflammation of the prostate, called prostatitis.
2026, Kevin Dupzyk, “The Semi-Complete User's Guide to Your Prostate”, in Men's Health, volume 41, number 2, page 21 - Subject to.
The matter is under investigation.
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We were constantly under bombardment.
I can't live under these circumstances.
- Subordinate to; subject to the control of; in accordance with; in compliance with.
He served in World War II under General Omar Bradley.
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During the pandemic, we had to live under severe restrictions.
Under the law and concession agreement with other parties, the private company must pay taxes in time and on a right amount.
There is general agreement that his military forces were organized into six divisions. They were stationed at the following places: at Ti-hua under the command of Liu Hsi-tsen, at T'a-ch'eng under Chiang Sung-lin, at Ili under Niu Shih, at A-shan under Wei Chen-kuo, at A-k'o-su under Chang Tzu-t'ing, and at Ko-shih-ko-erh (Kashgar) nominally under Tsou-ying, but in reality under Chin's brother, Chin Shu-chih.
1987, Arthur C. Hasiotis, Jr., Soviet Political, Economic, and Military Involvement in Sinkiang from 1928 to 1949, Garland Publishing, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 62He was then denied by a magnificent tackle from captain Terry as Liverpool continued to press - but Chelsea survived as the memories of the nightmare under Villas-Boas faded even further into the background.
2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC SportDati launched a blistering attack on the prime minister, François Fillon, under whom she served as justice minister, accusing him of sexism, elitism, arrogance and hindering the political advancement of ethnic minorities.
2011 December 14, Angelique Chrisafis, “Rachida Dati accuses French PM of sexism and elitism”, in Guardian
- Within the category, classification or heading of.
File this under "i" for "ignore".
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I talked Mom into letting me drop out of Girl Scouts and the Marian [redacted]. Let's just put that under "Unsuccessful Challenge."
1965 January 13, Lou Sullivan, Diary - figurativelyIn the face of; in response to (some attacking force).
to collapse under stress; to give in under interrogation
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England's World Cup dreams fell apart under a French onslaught on a night when their shortcomings were brutally exposed at the quarter-final stage.
2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France - Using or adopting (a name, identity, etc.).
She now lives under a new identity.
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J.K. Rowling has written a crime novel called 'The Cuckoo's Calling' under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
2013, The Huffington Post, JK Rowling Pseudonym: Robert Galbraith's 'The Cuckoo's Calling' Is Actually By Harry Potter AuthorHe writes books under the name John Smith.
- not comparableIn or to a lower or subordinate position, or a position beneath or below something, physically or figuratively.
weighed under by worry
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pulled under by the currents
The minstrel fell, but the foeman's chain / Could not bring his proud soul under.
1825, Thomas Moore, The Minster Boy - not comparableSo as to pass beneath something.
There's quite a gap, so you may be able to sneak under.
- in compoundsnot comparableusuallyLess than what is necessary to be adequate or suitable; insufficient.
Women are under-represented.
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The plants were underwatered.
- informalnot comparableIn or into an unconscious state.
It took the hypnotist several minutes to make his subject go under.
- not comparableDown to defeat, ruin, or death.
The COVID-19 epidemic and shutdown took some businesses under.
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Big-box store and online retailing have driven many specialty and local retail stores under.
comparative more under · superlative most under
- Lower; beneath something.
This treatment protects the under portion of the car from rust.
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(in compounds) underbelly, underside, undershirt, undersecretary
The advantages he gains are of double security to him ; first, by the support of his haunches, being at all times more under than before, he learns to be more active with his hind-quarters
1835, J G. Peters, A treatise on equitation, or the art of horsemanship, page 179If you allow the right hand to turn under more than the left, a pull will result, and if the left is more under than the right, a sliced ball will surely follow.
1908, Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, The American golfer, volumes 1-2, page 10The waves are so steep, they crash so fast and furious I'm more under than up.
2009, Doris Lessing, Briefing for a Descent Into Hell, page 30 - In a state of subordination, submission or defeat.
The army could not keep the people under.
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I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians ix:27When ready for sea we went up to Greenhithe, that their lordships might inspect us, and then to Portsmouth, to take troops to Cork, a pleasant trip; but the troops left us a legacy of "mahogany flats," with which their beds were so swarming that we never got them under.
1892, Sir George Giffard, Reminiscences of a Naval Officer, page 45 - colloquialmedicineUnder anesthesia, especially general anesthesia; sedated.
Ensure the patient is sufficiently under.
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To the anesthetist Moynihan said, “Have a look down the hall, will you, and see if the nurse has the bed ready. And leave the doors open when you come back so we can carry him through. Send anybody but the nurse away. Then come back and give us a hand with him. Not that he’s so heavy . . .” And then to Matthew, “He’s so far under I’m going to wait a bit for the hypo.”
1968, Agatha Young, chapter 44, in I Swear by Apollo, New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 461She can’t hear us. She’s so far under, that her sensory receptors aren’t working. Her brain regions that regulate waking consciousness and dreaming are shut down. No electrical activity. Only numbness and forgetting.
2007, John Likides, chapter 14, in Infinite Sustain, [Philadelphia, Pa.]: Xlibris, →ISBN, page 225“Sam, can we see Pop now?” “Sure Kathy, but he’s been sedated and he’s on morphine to control the pain. He won’t be coherent and he might not recognize any of us.” […] “Dad, we’re here. We came to see you.” There was no response. “Pop, we’re here to see you.” “I guess he’s too far under to recognize us.[…]”
2009, John W. Mangum, chapter 9, in Full Circle: 360°’s of Life, Sonoita, Ariz.: Running Iron Press, →ISBN, page 83 - informalHaving a particular property that is low, especially so as to be insufficient or lacking in a particular respect.
This chicken is a bit under.
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This bag of apples feels under.
My pay packet last week was £10 under.
My round of golf today was three under.
plural unders
- The amount by which an actual total is less than the expected or required amount.
[…] standard cash count forms used to record the count and any overs or unders.
2008, G. Puttick, Sandy van Esch, The Principles and Practice of Auditing, page 609 - informalSomething having a particular property that is low or too low.
I went fishing but caught nothing but unders.
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Usually I am at least ten over on that course, but I have shot a couple of unders.
- gamblingA bet that a particular sporting statistic, such as points scored in a game, will be below a certain stated value.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivelower in rank, power, or authority
adverbfurther down
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér“under”
- Proto-Germanic*under
- Proto-West Germanic*undar
- Old Englishunder
- Middle Englishunder
- Englishunder
From Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-West Germanic *undar, from Proto-Germanic *under, from a merger of Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér (“under”) and *h₁entér (“inside”). Cognate with German unter, Dutch onder, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish under, Faroese and Icelandic undir; also Old High German untar (“under”), Sanskrit अन्तर् (antar, “within”), Latin infrā (“below, beneath”) and inter (“between, among”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans onder
- onderat a lower level than
Ancient Greek ὑπό, ὑπό
- ὑπό (hupó)beneath the surface of
- ὑπό (hupó)at a lower level than
Arabic تَحْتَ, تَحْتَ
- تَحْتَ (taḥta)beneath the surface of
- تَحْتَ (taḥta)at a lower level than
Bengali নিচে
- নিচে (nice)at a lower level than
Bulgarian под
- под (pod)at a lower level than
Catalan davall, sota
- davallbeneath the surface of
- sotabeneath the surface of
- davallat a lower level than
- sotaat a lower level than
- menys deless than
- sotasubordinate to
- sotasubject to
- sotaIn a way lower or less than
Chinese Mandarin 在……底下, 在……以下
- 在……底下 (zài ... dǐxia)beneath the surface of
- 在……以下 (zài ... yǐxià)beneath the surface of
- 在...之下 (zài...zhīxià)at a lower level than
Czech pod, pod
- podbeneath the surface of
- podat a lower level than
Danish under
- underat a lower level than
Dutch onder, onder
- onderbeneath the surface of
- onderat a lower level than
- onderless than
- minder danless than
- ondersubject to
Esperanto sub, malsupre
- subat a lower level than
- malsupreIn a way lower or less than
Estonian all
- allat a lower level than
Finnish alla, alla
- allabeneath the surface of
- allaat a lower level than
- alapuolellaat a lower level than
- alempanaat a lower level than
- alleless than
- vähemmän kuinless than
- alamainensubject to
- huonomminIn a way inferior to
French sous, sous
- sousbeneath the surface of
- sousat a lower level than
- moins deless than
- soussubordinate to
- soussubject to
- dessousIn a way lower or less than
- moinsIn a way inferior to
German unter, unter
- unterbeneath the surface of
- unterat a lower level than
- unterless than
- weniger alsless than
- untersubordinate to
- untersubject to
Greek κάτω
- κάτω (káto)at a lower level than
Hebrew תַּחַת
- תַּחַת (tákhat)at a lower level than
Hindi ... के नीचे, ... के नीचे
- ... के नीचे (... ke nīce)beneath the surface of
- ... के नीचे (... ke nīce)at a lower level than
Hungarian alatt, alatt
- alattbeneath the surface of
- alattat a lower level than
- lentIn a way lower or less than
Icelandic undir
- undirat a lower level than
Indonesian di bawah, bawah
- di bawahat a lower level than
- bawahat a lower level than
Irish faoi
- faoiat a lower level than
Italian sotto
- sottoat a lower level than
Japanese 下に, したに
- 下に (shita ni)beneath the surface of
- したに (shita ni)beneath the surface of
- ...下に (...shita ni)at a lower level than
- 下に (shita ni)less than
- したに (shita ni)less than
- ...下に (...shita ni)subject to
- 下の (shita no)In a way lower or less than
- したの (shita no)In a way lower or less than
- 下の (shita no)In a way inferior to
- したの (shita no)In a way inferior to
Korean ...아래에, ...아래에서
- ...아래에 (...araee)beneath the surface of
- ...아래에서 (...araeeseo)at a lower level than
- ...아래의 (...arae'ui)at a lower level than
Latin sub
- subat a lower level than
Latvian zem, zem
- zembeneath the surface of
- zemat a lower level than
- apakšat a lower level than
Lithuanian po
- poat a lower level than
Malay di bawah, bawah
- di bawahat a lower level than
- bawahat a lower level than
Māori raro
- raroat a lower level than
Norwegian under
- underat a lower level than
Persian تحت, زیر
- تحت (taht)at a lower level than
- زیر (zir)at a lower level than
Polish pod, pod
- podbeneath the surface of
- podat a lower level than
- poniżejless than
- mniej niżless than
- podsubject to
Portuguese embaixo de, sob
- embaixo debeneath the surface of
- sobbeneath the surface of
- debaixoat a lower level than
- sobat a lower level than
- menos que/deless than
- sobsubject to
Romanian sub, sub
- subbeneath the surface of
- subat a lower level than
- subIn a way inferior to
Russian под, под
- под (pod)beneath the surface of
- под (pod)at a lower level than
- ни́же (níže)at a lower level than
- ме́ньше (ménʹše)less than
- ни́же (níže)less than
Scottish Gaelic fo, fo
- fobeneath the surface of
- foat a lower level than
- foless than
- fosubject to
Slovak pod
- podat a lower level than
Spanish bajo, debajo de
- bajobeneath the surface of
- debajo debeneath the surface of
- bajoat a lower level than
- debajo deat a lower level than
- soat a lower level than
- abajo deless than
- menos deless than
- bajo (las órdenes de)subordinate to
- sosubordinate to
- sotasubordinate to
- sosubject to
- bajosubject to
Swedish under, under
- underbeneath the surface of
- underat a lower level than
- nedanförat a lower level than
- nedan förat a lower level than
- undersubject to
Tagalog ibaba
- ibabaIn a way lower or less than
Thai ใต้, ภายใต้
- ใต้ (dtâai)at a lower level than
- ภายใต้ (paai-dtâai)at a lower level than
Turkish altında, altında
- altındabeneath the surface of
- altındaat a lower level than
Ukrainian під, під
- під (pid)beneath the surface of
- під (pid)at a lower level than
Urdu ... کے نیچے
- ... کے نیچے (... ke nīce)beneath the surface of
Vietnamese dưới
- dướiat a lower level than
Welsh dan, tan
- danat a lower level than
- tanat a lower level than
Yiddish אונטער
- אונטער (unter)at a lower level than
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with under
Anagrams
Cite this entry
under. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under
“under.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “under,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under.
Source: under on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.