behind
/ˈbiˌhaɪnd/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.29 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
prep
Responsible for, being the creator or controller of.
prep
Underlying, being the reason for or explanation of.
Example Sentences
- "The children were hiding behind the wall."
- "Behind the garage needs clearing asap."
- "The sun went behind the clouds."
- "Look behind you!"
- "I hide behind you in hide and seek."
- "But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. […]The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…], and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them."
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈbiˌhaɪnd/
- British English: /bɪˈhaɪnd/
Usage
Inflected Forms
ahind (alternative, dialectal)
behine (alternative)
more behind (comparative)
behinder (comparative, nonstandard)
most behind (superlative)
behindest (nonstandard, rare)
behinds (plural)