below

*below someone or something

positioned under or lower than someone or something. (*Typically: be ~; lie ~; sink ~; sit ~.) The sun is below the horizon. The swimming hole is below the dam.

below someone

ranking below someone. I am below Terri, but my scores are better than Carol's. I am below everyone in the class.

below average

lower or worse than average. Tom's strength is below average for a child his size. Dad asked why my grades are below average.

See also: average

below par

not as good as average or normal. I feel a little below par today. I think I am getting a cold. His work is below par, and he is paid too much money.

See also: par

drop below someone or something

to fall to a point lower than someone or something. The gunman dropped below the cowboy's hiding place and got ready to take a shot. The temperature dropped below the freezing point.

See also: drop

fall below something

to drop to a lower level than something. The temperature has fallen below freezing again. When the audience fell below two hundred a night, they closed the play.

See also: fall

go below

to go beneath the main deck of a ship. (Nautical.) I will have to go below and fiddle with the engine. The captain went below to escape the worst of the storm.

hit someone below the belt 

1. Lit. [for a boxer] to strike an opponent below the belt. (An unfair blow.) The champ hit the contender below the belt and the crowd began to boo like fury. Fred was hit below the belt and suffered considerably.

2. Fig. to deal someone an unfair blow. That's not fair! You told them I was the one who ordered the wrong-size carpet. That's hitting me below the belt. Todd hit below the belt when he said it was all her fault because she had become ill during the trip.

See also: belt, hit

marry below oneself and marry beneath oneself

Fig. to marry someone in a lower social class than oneself. He married beneath himself, but he is happy, and what more is required of a marriage? He did not want to marry beneath himself.

See also: marry, oneself

notch below (someone or something)

Fig. a little lower in quality than someone or something. I believe that this wine is a notch below the one we had with the fish.

See also: notch

rate (someone or something) below (someone or something else)

to judge someone to rank lower than someone else; to judge something to rank lower than something else. I have to rate Carol below Donna in this regard. We all rate plain chocolate ice cream below rocky road ice cream.

See also: rate

send someone below

to send someone to one of the lower decks of a ship. The first mate sent the sailor below to shovel coal into the boiler. The captain sent Mr. Wallace below, where he would be out of the way during the storm.

See also: send

sink below something

to descend below a certain level. The boat sank below the surface of the water and was gone. The temperature sank below the freezing mark again today.

See also: sink

take someone below

to guide someone to a lower deck on a ship. The captain told the first mate to take the passengers below. Please take Mr. Wilson below, where he will not be in the way.

See also: take

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be below par  also not be up to par

1. to be below the usual or expected standard His performance yesterday was definitely below par. For some reason her work this week hasn't been up to par.

2. to be slightly ill Do you mind if we put our meeting off till tomorrow? I'm feeling a bit below par today. After a sleepless night, I wasn't quite up to par.

See also: par

be below the belt

if something someone says is below the belt, it is cruel and unfair

Usage notes: In a boxing match it is wrong to hit the person you are fighting against below the belt.

It was below the belt to mention his brother's criminal record.

See also: belt

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a notch below somebody/something

not quite as good as someone or something else Fifty years ago, there were many big bands that were good, but they were a notch below the great ones.

See also: notch

below the belt

not fair That new advertisement really hits below the belt.

Usage notes: often used with hit, as in the example

Etymology: based on the idea of hitting someone below the belt in boxing, which is against the rules

See also: belt