below
[preposition]
Synonyms:
- lesser, inferior, subject, subordinate
- less than, lower than
[adverb]
Synonyms:
- lower, beneath, down, under, underneath

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Antonyms: above, supra
Contrasted words: over

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English Thesaurus: under, below, underneath, beneat

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

be‧low S2 W2 /bɪˈləʊ $ -ˈloʊ/ adverb, preposition
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: ⇒ low¹]

1. in a lower place or position, or on a lower level Antonym : above:
an animal that lives below ground
Water was dripping onto the floor below.
I could hear voices in the courtyard below my window.
They camped a few hundred feet below the summit.
Down below, people were talking and laughing.
Somewhere far below, a door slammed.
The kitchen is directly below her bedroom.
Captain Parker went below (=to the lower level of the ship), leaving Clooney in charge.

2. of a lower rank or having a less important job than someone else Antonym : above:
No one below the level of senior manager was present at the meeting.
and/or below
officers of the rank of captain and below

3. less than a particular number, amount, level etc Antonym : above:
Test scores below 50 were classed as ‘unsatisfactory’.
In June the rate of inflation fell below 3%.
Tom’s spelling is well below average (=much worse than the normal standard).
below freezing/zero (=lower than the temperature at which water freezes)
In winter, temperatures dip to 40 degrees below freezing.
and/or below
free travel for children four years old and below

4. lower on the same page, or on a later page Antonym : above:
Details of courses are listed below.
For more information, see below.
⇒ below par at par(2), ⇒ below the belt at belt¹(4)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

below
preposition
1.
BAD: Below the table there were some empty wine bottles.
GOOD: Under the table there were some empty wine bottles.

Usage Note:
below = at or to a lower level than something: 'My room is on the third floor, and John's is on the floor below.' 'Our helicopter hovered just below the summit so that we could film the rescue.
'under (or beneath/underneath ) = directly below something, and sometimes touching or covered by it: 'Come and stand under my umbrella.' 'I eventually found the letter under a pile of old newspapers.'

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2.
BAD: The below report describes my recent stay at the Hotel Grove.
GOOD: The report below describes my recent stay at the Hotel Grove.

Usage Note:
When below refers to the position of something on a page, it comes after the noun: 'Last month's sales figures are set out in the table below.'
Note that above can go before or after the noun: 'the table above', 'the above table'.

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3.
BAD: The room rates are much below average for hotels in this area.
GOOD: The room rates are far below average for hotels in this area.

Usage Note:
far below (NOT much ): 'The cost of the trip was far below what we had expected.'
Compare: 'The room rates were much/far lower than we had expected.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

under something that is under something else has that thing directly above it or covering it:
The pen was under the desk.
She had a T-shirt on under her sweater.
below in a lower position than something else, though not always directly under it:
From the cliffs we could barely see the people on the beach below us.
His apartment is below ours on the left.
underneath under – used especially to emphasize that something covers, touches, or hides something:
The girls wear shorts underneath their cheerleading skirts.
I found the book underneath the sofa.
beneath formal under or at a lower level:
They strolled hand in hand beneath the summer moon.
The water lies just beneath the surface of the earth.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲