behind

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

Also spelled ahint and behine

US /bɪˈhaɪnd/ UK /bɪˈhaɪnd/ See IPA manual

Freq #466

Meanings

1

prep
At or toward the back of someone or something.

The children were hiding behind the wall.
2

adv
At or toward the back.

Wherever I went, my dog followed behind.
3

prep
Less advanced than, or later than, others.

Smith finished the race a lap behind the others.
4

prep
Responsible for or causing something.

Who is behind these attacks?

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 prep · at or toward the back of... in back of

Word family

Forms behinds

Derived forms behind-the-scenesbehindedbehindnesshidebehindtherebehindwet-behind-the-earswritebehind

Related forms hindhiney

Appears in

Phrases (1)

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left behind
departed without taking something or someone along

Verb + adverb

Idioms (4)

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Proverbs (3)

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Etymology

From Middle English behinde, behinden, from Old English behindan (“on the back side of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihindan, *bihindini (“on the back side of, in the rear of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bi- + *hindō (“the hind side, back part”), equivalent to be- + hind. Compare Old Saxon bihindan (“behind”, adverb), Middle High German behinter (“behind; back”).

behinde Middle English behindan Old English *bihindan Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Germanic

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Grammar & Function Words

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# behind

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** prep, adv
**IPA (US):** /bɪˈhaɪnd/
**IPA (UK):** /bɪˈhaɪnd/
**Frequency rank:** 466

## Meanings
1. At or toward the back of someone or something.
2. At or toward the back.
3. Less advanced than, or later than, others.
4. Responsible for or causing something.

## Examples
- The children were hiding behind the wall.
- Wherever I went, my dog followed behind.
- Smith finished the race a lap behind the others.
- Who is behind these attacks?

## Derived Forms
- behind-the-scenes
- behinded
- behindness
- hidebehind
- therebehind
- wet-behind-the-ears
- writebehind

## Related Forms
- hind
- hiney

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: behinde
- Root: behindan
- Root: *bihindan
- Root: *bi-

## Etymology
From Middle English behinde, behinden, from Old English behindan (“on the back side of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihindan, *bihindini (“on the back side of, in the rear of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bi- + *hindō (“the hind side, back part”), equivalent to be- + hind. Compare Old Saxon bihindan (“behind”, adverb), Middle High German behinter (“behind; back”).

## AI Etymology
Behind comes from Middle English behinde, behinden, from Old English behindan (“on the back side of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihindan, *bihindini (“on the back side of, in the rear of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bi- + *hindō (“the hind side, back part”), equivalent to be- + hind. Compare Old Saxon bihindan (“behind”, adverb), Middle High German behinter (“behind; back”).

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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behind

Meanings

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (1)

Idioms (4)

Proverbs (3)

Etymology

Topics

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