behind
At the back (of)
پشت سر
Look behind you!
Oxford Essential Dictionary
behind
preposition, adverb
1 at or to the back of somebody or something:
I hid behind the wall.
I drove off and Jim followed behind.
2 slower or less good than somebody or something; slower or less good than you should be:
She is behind with her work because she is often ill.
3 in the place where somebody or something was before:
I got off the train and left my bag behind (= on the train).
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
behind
I. be‧hind1 S1 W1 /bɪˈhaɪnd/ BrE AmE preposition, adverb
[Language: Old English; Origin: behindan, from hindan 'from behind']
1. at or towards the back of a thing or person:
I turned to speak to the person standing behind me.
Someone could easily creep up behind us.
The car behind was hooting impatiently.
Jane shut the door behind her.
The manager was sitting behind a large desk.
close behind/not far behind
He set off down the road with the rest of us following close behind.
► Do not say ‘behind of’: He hid behind a chair (NOT behind of a chair).
2. not as successful or not having made as much progress as someone or something else:
Mark’s always behind the rest of his class in mathematics.
This victory lifts Ferguson’s team into fifth place, nine points behind leaders Norwich.
Europe was falling behind in the important field of computer technology.
3. used to say that someone is late in doing what they have to do:
This work should have been finished yesterday. I’m getting terribly behind.
Victor had fallen behind with his mortgage payments after losing his job.
an important research project that is already two years behind schedule (=not ready at the time planned)
4. used for talking about the hidden reason for something:
I wonder what’s behind this change of plan.
Perhaps a bitter experience lay behind her anger.
5. supporting a person, idea etc:
The workers are very much behind these proposals.
I suppose I’m lucky because my parents were behind me all the way.
6. responsible for a plan, idea etc or for organizing something:
It was alleged that foreign agents were behind the recent violence.
The Rotary Club is behind the fund-raising for the new hospital.
7. if an unpleasant experience or situation is behind you, it no longer upsets you or affects your life:
Now you can put all these worries behind you.
a chance to start a new life and leave all your troubles behind
8. if you have experience behind you, you have gained valuable skills or important qualities that can be used:
Marjorie is one of the top designers in the business, with years of experience behind her.
9. used when the real facts about a situation or someone’s character are hidden by the way things seem or by the way a person behaves:
We were determined to find the truth behind this mystery.
You could see the burning hatred behind Graham’s calm manner.
10. if a student stays behind after school or after a lesson, they stay after it has finished
⇨ behind sb’s back at ↑back2(9), ⇨ behind bars at ↑bar1(7), ⇨ behind the times at ↑time1(38)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ behind at or towards the back of something, and often hidden by it: The sun went behind a cloud. | I got stuck behind a truck on the way to the airport.
▪ at the back British English, in (the) back American English behind something, especially a building: There’s a small garden at the back of the cottage. | Their house has a pool in the back.
▪ at/to the rear written behind something, especially a building. At/to the rear sounds rather formal and is used especially in written descriptions: They parked in a small carpark at the rear of the hotel. | There is a small seating area to the rear.
▪ in the background if someone or something is in the background, it is behind the place where the main activity is happening: If you look carefully at the painting, you will see several men sitting at a table in the background.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
behind
be·hind preposition, adverb, noun [bɪˈhaɪnd] [bɪˈhaɪnd]
preposition
1. at or towards the back of sb/sth, and often hidden by it or them
• Who's the girl standing behind Jan?
• Stay close behind me.
• a small street behind the station
• She glanced behind her.
• Don't forget to lock the door behind you (= when you leave).
• The sun disappeared behind the clouds.
compare in front of
2. making less progress than sb/sth
• He's behind the rest of the class in reading.
• We're behind schedule (= late).
3. giving support to or approval of sb/sth
• She knew that, whatever she decided, her family was right behind her.
4. responsible for starting or developing sth
• What's behind that happy smile (= what is causing it)?
• He was the man behind the plan to build a new hospital.
5. used to say that sth is in sb's past
• The accident is behind you now, so try to forget it.
• She has ten years' useful experience behind her.
Word Origin:
Old English behindan, bihindan, from bi ‘by’ + hindan ‘from behind’.
Which Word?:
at the back / at the rear / behind
At the back and at the rear have a similar meaning, but at the rear is used more in formal or official language: ▪ What’s that at the back of the fridge? ◊ ▪ Smoking is only allowed at the rear of the aircraft. It is more usual to talk about the back door of a house but the rear exit of an aircraft or public building. If something is behind something else it is near to the back of it but not part of it. Compare: ▪ Our room was at the back of the hotel and ▪ There’s a lovely wood just behind our hotel.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
behind / bɪˈhaɪnd / preposition , adverb
A1 at the back (of):
Look behind you!
I hung my coat behind the door.
Alex led, and I followed along behind.
mainly UK As hard as she tried, she always fell behind the other swimmers in the races.
figurative I knew that behind (= hidden by) her smile was sadness.
behind / bɪˈhaɪnd / preposition
C1 responsible for or the cause of:
He wondered what was behind his neighbour's sudden friendliness.
Marie Curie was the woman behind enormous changes in the science of chemistry.
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
behind
I. PREPOSITION AND ADVERB USES
/bɪhaɪnd/
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: In addition to the uses shown below, 'behind' is also used in a few phrasal verbs, such as ‘fall behind’ and ‘lie behind’.
Please look at category 14 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
If something is behind a thing or person, it is on the other side of them from you, or nearer their back rather than their front.
I put one of the cushions behind his head...
They were parked behind the truck...
PREP
•
Behind is also an adverb.
Rising into the hills behind are 800 acres of parkland...
She was attacked from behind.
ADV: usu n ADV, from ADV
2.
If you are walking or travelling behind someone or something, you are following them.
Keith wandered along behind him...
Myra and Sam and the children were driving behind them.
PREP
•
Behind is also an adverb.
The troopers followed behind, every muscle tensed for the sudden gunfire.
ADV: ADV after v
3.
If someone is behind a desk, counter, or bar, they are on the other side of it from where you are.
The colonel was sitting behind a cheap wooden desk...
He could just about see the little man behind the counter.
PREP
4.
When you shut a door or gate behind you, you shut it after you have gone through it.
I walked out and closed the door behind me...
He slammed the gate shut behind him.
PREP: PREP pron
5.
The people, reason, or events behind a situation are the causes of it or are responsible for it.
It is still not clear who was behind the killing...
He is embarrassed about the motives behind his decision.
PREP
6.
If something or someone is behind you, they support you and help you.
He had the state’s judicial power behind him.
PREP: PREP pron
7.
If you refer to what is behind someone’s outside appearance, you are referring to a characteristic which you cannot immediately see or is not obvious, but which you think is there.
What lay behind his anger was really the hurt he felt at Grace’s refusal...
PREP
8.
If you are behind someone, you are less successful than them, or have done less or advanced less.
Food production has already fallen behind the population growth.
≠ ahead of
PREP
•
Behind is also an adverb.
The rapid development of technology means that she is now far behind, and will need retraining...
ADV: be ADV, ADV after v
9.
If an experience is behind you, it happened in your past and will not happen again, or no longer affects you.
Maureen put the nightmare behind her...
PREP: PREP pron
10.
If you have a particular achievement behind you, you have managed to reach this achievement, and other people consider it to be important or valuable.
He has 20 years of loyal service to Barclays Bank behind him...
PREP: have/with n PREP pron
11.
If something is behind schedule, it is not as far advanced as people had planned. If someone is behind schedule, they are not progressing as quickly at something as they had planned.
The work is 22 weeks behind schedule...
≠ ahead of
PREP: oft n PREP n
12.
If you stay behind, you remain in a place after other people have gone.
About 1,200 personnel will remain behind to take care of the air base.
ADV: ADV after v
13.
If you leave something or someone behind, you do not take them with you when you go.
The rebels fled into the mountains, leaving behind their weapons and supplies...
ADV: ADV after v
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
2behind prep
1 : in or to a place at the back of or to the rear of (someone or something)
• Look behind you.
• He was standing in front of me and she was standing behind [=in back of] me.
• The older students entered the room first with the younger students following behind them.
• The house is behind some trees. [=there are some trees in front of the house]
• The cat hid behind the couch.
• The sun went/hid/was behind a cloud.
- see also behind the eight ball at eight ball
2 : losing to (someone or something) in a race or competition
• “How far behind the other runners was she?” “At least 50 yards (behind them).”
• They were ahead of us by 5 points earlier in the game, but now they're behind us by 7.
• The polls show that he is behind the other candidates.
• The company is now behind the competition.
3 : in a less advanced position than (someone or something)
• He was a year behind me in school. [=he finished school a year after I did] : not happening or proceeding as quickly as (someone or something)
• He was behind the other students in his studies.
• This year's sales have lagged considerably/significantly behind last year's sales. [=sales have not been as good this year as they were last year]
• We're running about five minutes behind schedule. [=late]
4 a : in the past for (someone or something)
• Those problems are behind us now.
• Her best work is behind her. [=her best work was in the past]
• He has many years of experience behind him. [=he has many years of experience in his past]
b : out of the mind or thoughts of (someone)
• Let's put our troubles behind us. [=let's stop thinking/worrying about our troubles]
5 a : providing the reason or explanation for (something)
• We need to learn more about the conditions behind the strike. [=the conditions that led to the strike]
• What was really behind his murder? [=what was the real reason for his murder?]
b : responsible for (something)
• We'll get to the bottom of this conspiracy and find out who's behind it!
6 a : in support of (someone or something)
• Despite the controversy, most of his supporters remain solidly behind him.
• We're behind you all the way!
• I encourage everyone to get behind these proposals. [=to support these proposals]
b : with the support of (something)
• They won the game 1–0 behind brilliant pitching. [=brilliant pitching made it possible for them to win the game 1–0]
