below

¹be·low

adverb \bi-ˈlō\

Definition of BELOW

1

: in or to a lower place

2

a : on earth

b : in or to Hades or hell

3

: on or to a lower floor or deck

4

a : in, to, at, or by a lower rank or number

b : below zero <the temperature was 20 below>

5

: lower on the same page or on a following page

6

: under the surface of the water

Examples of BELOW

1. The pencil rolled off the desk and fell to the floor below.
2. The pilot looked down at the sea far below.
3. We heard the elevator stop at the floor below.
4. They secured the goods on deck and went below.
5. All personnel, captain and below, were ordered to report for duty.

Origin of BELOW

Middle English bilooghe, from bi by + looghe low, adjective

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to BELOW

Synonyms

beneath, under, underneath

Antonyms

up

Related Words

beside, near, nearby

Near Antonyms

aloft, overhead

Rhymes with BELOW

aglow, ago, airflow, airglow, air show, alow, although, archfoe, argot, a throw, backflow, backhoe, bandeau, Baotou, barlow, bateau, bestow, big toe, bon mot, bravo, by-blow, cachepot, callow, caló, Carlow, cash flow, chapeau, Chi-Rho, cockcrow, Cocteau, cornrow, corn snow, crossbow, Cousteau, Darrow, Day-Glo, dayglow, death row, Defoe, de trop, deathblow, deco, down-bow, dumb show, elbow, escrow, fencerow, flambeau, floor show, flyblow, fogbow, forego, foreknow, forgo, freak show, free throw, Freneau, Fuzhou, galop, game show, genro, gigot, Glencoe, go-slow, Gounod, Guangzhou, gung ho, guyot, Hadow, Hangzhou, Hankow, Harrow, heave-ho, hedgerow, heigh-ho, hello, hollo, horse show, ice floe, ice show, inflow, in tow, Io, jabot, jambeau, Jane Doe, jim crow, Jinzhou, Joe Blow, Jiaozhou, John Doe, Juneau, Hounslow, kayo, KO, Lanzhou, lie low, light show, longbow, low blow, Luchow, macho, mahoe, maillot, mallow, manteau, Marlowe, Marot, marrow, matelot, merlot, Meursault, minnow, Miró, misknow, Moho, mojo, morceau, morrow, Moscow, mucro, mudflow, Murrow, nightglow, no-no, no-show, nouveau, oboe, outflow, outgo, outgrow, oxbow, peep show, Pernod, picot, plateau, pronto, Quanzhou, quiz show, rainbow, Rameau, red snow, reflow, regrow, repo, reseau, road show, rondeau, rondo, roscoe, Roseau, rouleau, sabot, Saint-Lô, salchow, scarecrow, self-sow, serow, shadblow, Shantou, sideshow, skid row, ski tow, Soho, so-so, sound bow, sourdough, stone's throw, sunbow, Suzhou, tableau, Taizhou, talk show, tiptoe, Thoreau, tone row, tonneau, trade show, trousseau, Trudeau, uh-oh, unsew, up-bow, upthrow, van Gogh, wallow, Wenzhou, Wicklow, widow, willow, windrow, windthrow, winnow, Winslow, Wuzhou, Xuzhou, Yalow, yarrow, Zhangzhou, Zhengzhou, Zibo

²below

preposition

Definition of BELOW

1

a : lower in place, rank, or value than : under

b : down river from

c : south of

2

: inferior to (as in rank)

3

: not suitable to the rank of : beneath

Examples of BELOW

1. Our apartment is below theirs.
2. We could see only clouds below us.
3. The diver descended below 25 meters.
4. The sun disappeared below the horizon.
5. a spot directly below us
6. the valley far below us
7. Temperatures were below average all week.
8. She worked for wage rates below those of other workers.
9. He ranks far below his superior.

First Known Use of BELOW

1575

Related to BELOW

Synonyms

beneath, neath [dialect], under

Antonyms

above, over

Related Words

underneath

Near Antonyms

toward (or towards)

³below

noun

Definition of BELOW

: something that is below

First Known Use of BELOW

1697

⁴below

adjective

Definition of BELOW

: written or discussed lower on the same page or on a following page

First Known Use of BELOW

1916