behind
/bi'haind/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Preposition:
- At or to the back of: Indicates a position at the rear of something or someone.
- Later than or after in time: Indicates a sequence where one event follows another.
- In support of or responsible for: Indicates being the cause or support for something.
- Less advanced than or inferior to: Indicates a lower standard, level, or position compared to another.
Adverb:
- At or toward the back: In a position at the rear.
- In a place or condition left after departure: Remaining after someone or something has gone.
- Late or slow in relation to a schedule or expectation: Not on time; delayed.
- In arrears: Owed for a past due period.
Noun (informal):
- The buttocks: The part of the body on which a person sits.
Examples of Usage
Preposition:
- The cat hid behind the sofa. (Position)
- New evidence emerged from behind the scenes. (Hidden/secret position)
- He arrived behind schedule. (Time)
- The idea behind the project is to help the community. (Reason/support)
- Our technology is behind our competitors'. (Inferiority)
Adverb:
- She walked on ahead, and he followed behind. (Position)
- He glanced behind to see if anyone was there. (Direction)
- Don't leave your bags behind. (Remaining)
- I'm behind in my rent. (Late/In arrears)
- The home team is behind by ten points. (In a contest)
Noun:
- He fell flat on his behind. (Buttocks)
Advanced Usage
"Behind the times": Old-fashioned; not modern.
- Their business methods are behind the times.
"Behind someone's back": Secretly; without someone's knowledge.
- They made plans behind his back.
"Behind the scenes": In secret; not visible to the public.
- A lot of hard work happens behind the scenes.
"Fall behind": To fail to keep up with a schedule or with others.
- If you miss classes, you will fall behind.
Variants and Related Words
- Behindhand (adj/adv): Late or behind schedule; archaic synonym for "behind."
- He was behindhand with his report.
Synonyms
- Preposition: At the back of, after, following, supporting.
- Adverb: At the rear, afterward, late, slow.
- Noun: Buttocks, rear, bottom, backside.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Get behind: To support; or to fail to keep up.
- We need everyone to get behind this initiative. (Support)
- I don't want to get behind on my work. (Fall behind)
Leave behind: To not take someone or something with you; to surpass.
- He left behind his old life. (Abandon)
- Her research has left all others behind. (Surpassed)
Related Idioms
Behind the eight ball: In a difficult or disadvantageous position.
- Losing that contract has put the company behind the eight ball.
Close behind: Following very soon after.
- The leader is ahead, but her rival is close behind.
Adjective
- having the lower score or lagging position in a contest
- behind by two points
- the 8th inning found the home team trailing
Adverb
- 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 or into an inferior position
- fell behind in his studies
- their business was lagging behind in the competition for customers
- of timepieces
- the clock is almost an hour slow
- my watch is running 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
- 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
Noun
- 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?