Behind
/bɪˈhaɪnd/
prepositionBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase2 questions
Definitions
2 meanings1
At the rear of; in the back of; following.
/bɪˈhaɪnd/
prepositionneutralBeginner
General
At the back of; further back than.
The dog is running behind the car.
💡 Simply: In back of.
More Examples
2
The book is behind the desk.
How It's Used
General
"The car is parked behind the house."
Spatial
"She stood behind him, watching."
2
Later than expected; lagging.
/bɪˈhaɪnd/
adverbneutralBeginner
General
In, at, or to the rear.
The project is behind schedule.
💡 Simply: Falling back or lagging.
More Examples
2
He's fallen behind in his work.
How It's Used
General
"He fell behind in his studies."
Tip:Think of being 'behind' schedule.
Idioms & expressions
behind the scenes
Secretly; out of public view.
"Much work goes on behind the scenes."
From Old English *behīn̄d, from be- + hindan.
The word 'behind' has consistently referred to a position at the rear since Old English.
Memory tip
Think of being 'behind' something physically.
Word Origin
LanguageOld English
Original meaning
"at the back"
fall behindbehind schedulebehind the scenesleave behind
Common misspellings
behidebehiend
Practice
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written