under

/ˈʌndər/

/ˈʌndə/

Other forms: unders; underly

Anything that's under is beneath something else. Most of us wear socks under our shoes and stand under an umbrella in the pouring rain.

If you're under water, you are below its surface, and if you're in the room directly under your brother's, you'll hear the rhythmic thudding of his stereo directly above your head. This adverb has a variety of meanings, including "lesser in rank," like a corporal who's under a general, and "controlled by," as when you fall under the spell of a magician. You can also be "under the weather," or sick.

Definitions of under

1. adverb

   below some quantity or limit
   “fifty dollars or under”
2. adverb

   below the horizon
   “the sun went under”
3. adverb

   down below
   “get under quickly!”
4. adverb

   further down
   “see under for further discussion”

   synonyms: below
5. adverb

   through a range downward
   “children six and under will be admitted free”
6. adverb

   in or into a state of subordination or subjugation
   “we must keep our disappointment under”
7. adjective

   located below or beneath something else
   “the under parts of a machine”

   synonyms: nether

   low

   literal meanings; being at or having a relatively small elevation or upward extension
8. adjective

   lower in rank, power, or authority
   “an under secretary”

   synonyms:

   low-level, subordinate

   lower in rank or importance
9. adverb

   down to defeat, death, or ruin
   “their competitors went under”
10. adverb

    into unconsciousness
    “this will put the patient under”