beneath
/bɪˈniːθ/ (bre, ipa) · /bɪˈniːθ/ (ame, ipa) · /bi-ˈnēth bē-/ (ame, mw)
beneath — preposition
1. at a level lower than another person or thing, sometimes right under it.
at a level lower than another person or thing, sometimes right under it.
A metal box lay beneath the wooden stairs in the hall.
beneath + noun for a lower physical position
Snow still covered the grass beneath the pine trees.
The diver spotted a cave beneath the boat.
A warm pipe ran beneath the kitchen floor.
The village lies beneath steep gray cliffs by the sea.
- below
close in meaning, but usually more neutral and common
- under
the everyday choice, especially when one thing is directly covered by another
- underneath
often stresses being hidden or tucked under something
文法句型
beneath + noun
用法筆記
More formal than 'under' or 'below'. It is especially common in writing and in descriptive speech about where something is.
常見錯誤
2. used for something seen as too low, rude, or unimportant for a person.
used for something seen as too low, rude, or unimportant for a person.
Linnea felt that copying homework was beneath her.
be beneath + person for moral judgment
Cheap jokes about students are beneath a school principal.
Shouting at court staff was beneath Judge Chen's position.
To the editor, the complaint was beneath notice.
Even in anger, Rosa knew that revenge was beneath her.
- unworthy of
a clear modern equivalent in formal writing
- too low for
more direct and less formal
- below
possible, but much rarer than 'beneath' in this meaning
文法句型
be beneath + person
be beneath + abstract noun
用法筆記
Usually follows a form of 'be'. Common objects are a person's name or pronoun, or nouns such as 'notice', 'contempt', and 'dignity'.
常見錯誤
beneath — adverb
1. in a lower place, especially under the point you are looking from.
in a lower place, especially under the point you are looking from.
Far beneath, fishing boats rocked beside the pier.
sentence-opening adverb for a lower scene
From the bridge, we could hear children laughing beneath.
beneath with the higher place understood
The train roared overhead, and a river moved quietly beneath.
The hikers stared down, and clouds drifted beneath.
The chapel stood above, and old family graves lay beneath.
- below
the normal everyday adverb for a lower place
- underneath
often suggests being directly under or hidden from view
文法句型
verb + beneath
from + place, ... beneath
用法筆記
Most often stands alone, with the higher place understood from context. It is rarer and more literary than the adverb 'below'.