If you talk about what is beneath the surface of something, you are talking about the aspects of it which are hidden or not obvious.
...emotional strains beneath the surface.
Somewhere deep beneath the surface lay a caring character.
Beneath the festive mood there is an underlying apprehension.
Synonyms: under, underneath More Synonyms of beneath
3. preposition
If you say that someone or something is beneath you, you feel that they are not good enough for you or not suitable for you.
They decided she was marrying beneath her.
Many find themselves having to take jobs far beneath them.
Synonyms: unworthy of, unfitting for, unsuitable for, inappropriate for More Synonyms of beneath
More Synonyms of beneath
English Easy Learning GrammarPrepositionsA preposition is one of a small but very common group of words that relate differentitems to each other. Most English prepositions have a number of meanings ... Read more
beneath in British English
(bɪˈniːθ)
preposition
1.
below, esp if covered, protected, or obscured by
2.
not as great or good as would be demanded by
beneath his dignity
adverb
3.
below; underneath
Word origin
Old English beneothan, from be- + neothan low; see nether
beneath in American English
(biˈniθ; bɪˈniθ)
adverb, adjective
1.
in a lower place; below
2.
just below something; underneath
preposition
3.
below; lower than
4.
directly under; underneath
5.
covered by
beneath a blanket of snow
6.
under the influence or control of
7.
inferior to or lower than in rank, quality, worth, etc.
8.
unworthy of
it is beneath him to cheat
Word origin
ME binethe < OE beneothan < be-, by + neothan, down: see nether
Examples of 'beneath' in a sentence
beneath
But scratch beneath the surface and all is not necessarily well.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Dig beneath the surface of British history and society, and you find a culture that is curious and expansive.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The problem, he says, is not so much the scale of the debt as the plumbing beneath the surface.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Instead investors should dig beneath the surface and identify companies that may have lower yields at present, but are better at growing their dividends year by year.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You could also think about what lies beneath.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The master bedroom on the top floor is only slightly bigger than the one beneath it.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She likes to feel the earth beneath her feet.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We know so little about what lies beneath the waves.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Danlo continued staring at the beautiful colours spread beneath the surface of the shiny rectangle before him.
Zindell, David The Broken God (1993)
Become aware of where your limbs are in space and feel the ground beneath your feet.
Wallace, Louise M & Bundy, Christine Coping with Angina (1990)
Be sensitive to the pain that may lie just beneath the surface of their lives.
Christianity Today (2000)
The one switch you do need to know about is the one hiding beneath a bright red protector shield.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Unemployment is about to drop beneath 6 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
To each his own, beneath one pleasure dome!
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Not because it feels beneath me at all, quite the opposite.
The Sun (2014)
But the prospect of completing a 5-0 success was lost beneath speculation about his future.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But it didn't take long for the rust beneath the surface to appear.
The Sun (2010)
There was Just fresh air beneath one of the main pillars.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But another vicious game of one-upmanship is going on beneath the surface of their small talk.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I feel my heart beneath my skin.
The Sun (2015)
The barrage is part of a global campaign to convince the outside world that Venice is not about to sink beneath the waves.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The sky is cloudless; the waves tumble beneath me; the warm southern wind carries scents of thyme and rock rose.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Of course Greece has suffered enormous economic pain beneath the surface; look at the unemployment numbers and the degree of austerity.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
beneath
British English: beneath /bɪˈniːθ/ PREPOSITION
If something is beneath another thing, it is below it.
The dog was beneath the table.
American English: beneath
Arabic: تـَحْتَ
Brazilian Portuguese: debaixo
Chinese: 在...之下
Croatian: ispod
Czech: pod
Danish: under
Dutch: onder
European Spanish: bajo
Finnish: alapuolella
French: sous
German: unter
Greek: κάτω από
Italian: sotto
Japanese: ･･･の下に
Korean: ...의 밑에
Norwegian: (neden)under
Polish: poniżej
European Portuguese: debaixo
Romanian: sub
Russian: под
Latin American Spanish: bajo debajo
Swedish: under
Thai: ข้างล่าง
Turkish: altında
Ukrainian: під
Vietnamese: ở dưới
Chinese translation of 'beneath'
beneath
(bɪˈniːθ)
prep
(in position) 在 ... 之下 (zài ... zhīxià)
(in status)
beneath him/her有失他/她的身份 (yǒushī tā/tā de shēnfèn)
adv
在下面 (zài xiàmian)
1 (preposition)
Definition
below
She found pleasure in sitting beneath the trees.
Synonyms
under
below
underneath
lower than
Opposites
over
,
above
,
upon
,
on top of
,
higher than
,
atop
2 (preposition)
She decided he was beneath her.
Synonyms
inferior to
below
secondary to
not good enough for
lower in status than
not as important as
3 (preposition)
Definition
too trivial for
Many find themselves having to take jobs far beneath them.