Behind Definition and Meaning
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Published on April 30, 2024
Behind means at or to the rear of something. e.g., The cat hid behind the sofa, peeking out occasionally.
Table of Contents
Behind Definitions
In a place that one has already passed or left.
He looked behind and saw his friend waving.
The posterior part of the body, especially the buttocks.
He landed on his behind after slipping on the ice.
Remaining in the same place while others move forward.
I'll wait behind for the next bus.
Less advanced than someone or something in progress or development.
He is behind his classmates in reading.
Owing money to someone.
She's behind on her rent payments.
In, to, or toward the rear
We walked behind.
In a place or condition that has been passed or left
I left my gloves behind.
In arrears; late
I fell behind in my payments.
Below the standard level; in or into an inferior position
Don't fall behind in class.
Slow
My watch is running behind.
(Archaic) Yet to come or in reserve
"the expectation of some new possession, or of some enjoyment yet behind" (Samuel Johnson).
At the back of or in the rear of
He sat behind her.
On the farther side or other side of; beyond
The broom is behind the door.
In a place or time that has been passed or left by
Their worries are behind them.
Later than
The plane was behind schedule.
Used to indicate deficiency in performance
Behind us in technological development.
Hidden or concealed by
Hatred hidden behind a bland smile.
In the background of; underlying
Behind your every action is self-interest.
In a position or attitude of support
The leaders have the army behind them.
In pursuit of
The police were hard behind the escapees.
(Informal) The buttocks.
At or to the back or far side of.
The children were hiding behind the wall.
The sun went behind the clouds.
Look behind you!
In front of
(figuratively) Concealed by (something serving as a facade or disguise).
Behind the smile was a cruel intention.
(figuratively) In the past, from the viewpoint of.
All my problems are behind me.
Less forward or advanced than; after.
Ahead of
After in physical progress or distance.
Smith finished the race a lap behind the others.
After in developmental progress, score, grade, etc.; inferior to.
I'm ranked sixth in the French class, behind five other pupils.
In the cricket match, England are 120 runs behind India.
After in time.
London is nine hours behind Tokyo.
Responsible for, being the creator or controller of.
Who is behind these terrorist attacks?
Mr Jones was the man behind the redevelopment plan.
Underlying, being the reason for or explanation of.
What is behind this unexpected decision?
In support of.
The republicans are fully behind their candidate.
As a result or consequence of.
At or in the rear or back part of something.
The water flows out through the pipe, and the sediment collects behind.
In a rearward direction.
We ran and ran, without once looking behind.
So as to come after someone or something in position, distance, advancement, ranking, time, etc.
The slower runners were left a long way behind.
In the cricket match, England finished a long way behind.
The worst thing about autumn is that winter follows behind.
So as to be still in place after someone or something has departed or ceased to exist.
I couldn't be bothered to carry the ironing board, so I left it behind.
He stayed behind after the war.
He left behind a legacy of death and sorrow.
The island was inundated by the sea, leaving not a trace behind.
Backward in time or order of succession; past.
Behind the scenes in a theatre; backstage.
(archaic) Not yet brought forward, produced, or exhibited to view; out of sight; remaining.
Not advanced to the required or expected degree; overdue or in arrears.
I'm very behind in my schedule.
My employer is two paychecks behind on paying my salary.
(of a watch or clock) Slow.
My watch is behind by four minutes.
The rear, back-end.
This part fits under the behind of the vehicle.
She sneaked up on me from behind.
(informal) The buttocks, bottom, butt.
I was stung on the behind by a wasp.
(Australian rules football) A one-point score.
The catcher.
In the Eton College field game, any of a group of players consisting of two "shorts" (who try to kick the ball over the bully) and a "long" (who defends the goal).
On the side opposite the front or nearest part; on the back side of; at the back of; on the other side of; as, behind a door; behind a hill.
A tall Brabanter, behind whom I stood.
Left after the departure of, whether this be by removing to a distance or by death.
A small part of what he left behind him.
Left a distance by, in progress of improvement Hence: Inferior to in dignity, rank, knowledge, or excellence, or in any achievement.
I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
At the back part; in the rear.
Toward the back part or rear; backward; as, to look behind.
Not yet brought forward, produced, or exhibited to view; out of sight; remaining.
We can not be sure that there is no evidence behind.
Backward in time or order of succession; past.
Forgetting those things which are behind.
After the departure of another; as, to stay behind.
Leave not a rack behind.
The backside; the rump.
The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on;
He deserves a good kick in the butt
Are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?
Having the lower score or lagging position in a contest;
Behind by two points
The 8th inning found the home team trailing
In or to or toward the rear;
He followed behind
Seen from behind, the house is more imposing than it is from the front
The final runners were far behind
Remaining in a place or condition that has been left or departed from;
When he died he left much unfinished work behind
Left a large family behind
The children left their books behind
He took off with a squeal of tires and left the other cars far behind
Of timepieces;
The clock is almost an hour slow
My watch is running behind
In or into an inferior position;
Fell behind in his studies
Their business was lagging behind in the competition for customers
In debt;
He fell behind with his mortgage payments
A month behind in the rent
A company that has been run behindhand for years
In arrears with their utility bills
In a position at the back of or to the rear of something.
The garden is behind the house.
Late or delayed in relation to the expected or planned time.
The project is behind schedule.
Supporting or backing someone or something.
The whole team is behind their captain.
The background or underlying cause of something.
The behind reason for his absence was his illness.
In arrears; having failed to do something by the agreed or expected time.
He's behind on his homework assignments.
Behind Snonyms
After
Following in time; later than.
After the meeting, we had lunch.
Later
At a time in the future; after the present time.
I'll see you later at the cafe.
Back
The opposite of front; the posterior part.
The back door was left unlocked.
Posterior
Located behind or towards the rear of an object.
The posterior design of the building is quite modern.
Rear
The back part of something.
The car's engine is located in the rear.
Subsequent
Coming after something in time; following.
The subsequent chapters are more interesting.
Aft
Towards or at the stern of a ship.
The captain moved aft to inspect the rudder.
Delayed
Made to happen later than planned or expected.
The flight was delayed due to bad weather.
Following
Coming after or as a result of.
Following the discussion, a decision was made.
Backward
Directed towards the back or being in a reverse direction.
He glanced backward over his shoulder.
Behind Idioms & Phrases
Get behind
To support or endorse someone or something.
The community got behind the effort to clean up the park.
Left behind
To be forgotten or abandoned.
He felt left behind when his friends moved to another city.
Behind the eight ball
In a difficult or precarious situation.
Losing their best player put the team behind the eight ball.
Behind the scenes
In secret or without public knowledge.
Much of the work was done behind the scenes.
Behind someone's back
Done without someone's knowledge or consent.
They planned the surprise party behind her back.
Behind closed doors
In private; away from the public eye.
The deal was negotiated behind closed doors.
Fall behind
To fail to keep up with others.
She started to fall behind in her studies.
Behind in payments
Owing money that should have already been paid.
He's behind in payments on his loan.
Behind bars
In prison.
The criminal was finally put behind bars.
Behind the wheel
Driving a vehicle.
He feels most at ease behind the wheel.
Behind Example Sentences
He whispered the secret behind her ear.
There's a small alley behind the grocery store.
The dog waited patiently behind the door.
The sun disappeared behind the clouds.
The team rallied behind their coach's strategy.
They parked their car behind the building.
She found her lost earring behind the sofa.
Memories of the past lingered behind his smile.
The truth was hidden behind his casual demeanor.
She always felt like she was one step behind her colleagues.
Her favorite spot was sitting behind the old oak tree.
He was nervous about speaking but stood firm behind his decision.
The kids played hide and seek, hiding behind the bushes.
They walked hand in hand, leaving their worries behind.
He looked behind to make sure he wasn't being followed.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called behind?
It's called "behind" from Old English "behindan," meaning at the back or rear, indicating position or sequence.
How do we divide behind into syllables?
Behind is divided into syllables as be-hind.
What is a stressed syllable in behind?
The second syllable is stressed: be-HIND.
What is the pronunciation of behind?
Behind is pronounced as /bɪˈhaɪnd/.
What is the root word of behind?
The root is the Old English "behindan," which means at the back of or after.
How many syllables are in behind?
There are two syllables in "behind."
How is behind used in a sentence?
Behind is used to indicate location or position relative to something else, e.g., The park is located behind the library.
What is the verb form of behind?
Behind does not have a verb form; it is used as a preposition, adverb, or noun.
What part of speech is behind?
Behind is primarily used as a preposition and adverb, and can also be a noun.
Is behind a noun or adjective?
Behind is used as a preposition, adverb, and noun but not as an adjective.
What is the opposite of behind?
The opposite of behind is "in front of" or "ahead."
Is behind an adverb?
Yes, behind can function as an adverb.
Is the behind term a metaphor?
It can be used metaphorically, especially in phrases like "behind the scenes."
Which vowel is used before behind?
The vowel used before "behind" depends on the word preceding it; there's no specific vowel always used.
Is behind a collective noun?
No, behind is not a collective noun.
What is another term for behind?
Another term for behind is "rear" or "back."
What is the plural form of behind?
Behind does not have a plural form.
Is behind a negative or positive word?
The connotation of behind depends on the context; it can be neutral, negative, or positive.
Is behind a vowel or consonant?
The word "behind" starts with a consonant.
Is behind a countable noun?
When used as a noun referring to the buttocks, it is not typically counted.
Is the word behind Gerund?
No, behind cannot be a gerund as it is not a verb.
Which preposition is used with behind?
Behind itself is a preposition and is not typically preceded by another preposition.
Which conjunction is used with behind?
Conjunctions like "and," "but," or "while" can connect clauses involving "behind."
Which article is used with behind?
The use of "the" or "a" with "behind" depends on whether it is followed by a noun that is specific or nonspecific.
What is the singular form of behind?
Behind does not have a singular or plural form; its use remains the same.
Is behind an abstract noun?
When used as a noun (less commonly), behind refers to a physical part (the buttocks) or concept (support), so it can be both abstract and concrete depending on the context.
Is the word behind imperative?
Behind is not used in the imperative mood as it is not a verb.
Is the word “behind” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
Behind is primarily used as a preposition and does not serve as a direct or indirect object.
Which determiner is used with behind?
Determiners like "the," "a," and possessive pronouns can be used with "behind" depending on the noun it is modifying.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
