WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025be•hind /bɪˈhaɪnd/USA pronunciation
prep.
- at or toward the rear of: Look behind the house.
- later than;
after: already well behind schedule.
- in the state of making less progress than: fallen behind our opponents.
- on the farther side of;
beyond: right there, behind the mountain ahead of us.
- in a role of supporting:Are you behind me in this?
- hidden by: a great deal of hatred behind that smile of hers.
- responsible for starting or operating (something):Who was behind all these rumors?
- having had (experience, etc.) in a time already passed:twenty years' experience behind him.
adv.
- at or toward the rear;
rearward: to lag behind.
- in a place or stage already passed:left our bad times behind.
- slow;
late: several months behind in her rent.
adj. [be + ~]
- late;
not on schedule:I'm way behind now; can I call you back later?
n. [countable]
- Informal Terms Informal. the backside;
buttocks.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025be•hind
(bi hīnd′),USA pronunciation prep.
- at or toward the rear of:Look behind the house.
- not keeping up with, later than;
after:behind schedule.
- in the state of making less progress than:We can't afford to fall behind our competitors.
- on the farther side of;
beyond:behind the mountain.
- originating, supporting, or promoting:Who's behind this program?
- hidden or unrevealed by:Malice lay behind her smile.
- at the controls of:behind the wheel of a car.
adv.
- at or toward the rear;
rearward:to lag behind.
- in a place, state, or stage already passed.
- in arrears;
behindhand:to be behind in one's rent.
- slow, as a watch or clock:more than 20 minutes behind.
- as a cause or often latent feature of:Behind their harassment lay the traditional fear of foreigners.
- in a situation that exists afterward:The victim left behind a large family.
- [Archaic.]in reserve;
to come:Greater support is yet behind.
adj.
- following:the man behind.
n.
- Informal Termsthe buttocks.
- bef. 900; Middle English behinde(n), Old English behindan; for adverb, adverbial suffix -an compare before. See be-, hind1
- 1, 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged Behind, after both refer to a position following something else. Behind applies primarily to position in space, and suggests that one person or thing is at the back of another; it may also refer to (a fixed) time:He stood behind the chair. You are behind the appointed time.After applies primarily to time; when it denotes position in space, it is not used with precision, and refers usually to bodies in motion:Rest after a hard day's work. They entered the room, one after another.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
behind / bɪˈhaɪnd/ - in or to a position further back than; at the rear of; at the back of
- in the past in relation to: I've got the exams behind me now
- late according to; not keeping up with: running behind schedule
- concerning the circumstances surrounding: the reasons behind his departure
- in or to a position further back; following
- remaining after someone's departure: she left it behind
- in debt; in arrears: to fall behind with payments
- (postpositive) in a position further back; retarded: the car behind started to overtake
- the buttocks
- a score of one point made by kicking the ball over the behind line between a goalpost and one of the smaller outer posts (behind posts)
Etymology: Old English behindan
'get behind' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):