Lower vs. Below — What's the Difference?

To look angry, sullen, or threatening.

In or to a lower place; beneath.

To appear dark or stormy, as the sky.

On or to a lower floor; downstairs.

To let, bring, or move down to a lower level.

(Nautical) On or to a lower deck.

To reduce in value, degree, or quality.

In a later part of a given text

To weaken; undermine

Farther down, as along a slope or valley.

To reduce in standing or respect.

In or to hell or Hades.

To move down

On the earth.

To become less; diminish

In a lower rank or class.

A threatening, sullen, or angry look.

Below zero in temperature

A dark or stormy appearance

Underneath; beneath.

Having little relative height; not high or tall

Lower than, as on a graduated scale.

Rising only slightly above surrounding surfaces

Downstream of

Near to the ground or the horizon

South of

Situated or placed below normal height

Unsuitable to the rank or dignity of

Situated below the surrounding surfaces

Lower in spatial position than.

Of less than usual or average depth; shallow

Lower than in value, price, rank, concentration, etc.

Cut to show the wearer's neck and chest; décolleté

Downstream of.

Close or closer to a reference point

South of.

(Linguistics) Produced with part or all of the tongue depressed, as a, pronounced (ä), in father. Used of vowels.

Unsuitable to the rank or dignity of; beneath.

Below average in degree, intensity, or amount

(stage directions) Downstage of.

Below an average or a standard

In or to a lower place.

Ranked near the beginning of an ascending series or scale

On or to a lower storey.

Relating to or being latitudes nearest to the equator.

(nautical) On or to a lower deck, especially as relative to the main deck.

Relatively small. Used of a cost, price, or other value

Later in the same text.

Not loud; soft

(of a temperature) Below zero.

Having a pitch corresponding to a relatively small number of sound-wave cycles per second.

Under, or lower in place; beneath not so high; as, below the moon; below the knee.

Below others in status or rank; lowly

Inferior to in rank, excellence, dignity, value, amount, price, etc.; lower in quality.

Violating standards of morality or decency; base

Unworthy of; unbefitting; beneath.

Below another in rank, position, or authority.

In a lower place, with respect to any object; in a lower room; beneath.

Physically situated below a similar or comparable thing

On the earth, as opposed to the heavens.

Lower Geology & Archaeology Relating to or being an earlier or older division of the period named.

In hell, or the regions of the dead.

(Biology) Less complex in organization or having traits similar to those of organisms that evolved earlier in the history of life on Earth.

In court or tribunal of inferior jurisdiction; as, at the trial below.

Denoting the larger and usually more representative house of a bicameral legislature.

In some part or page following.

Bottom; more towards the bottom than the middle of an object

In or to a place that is lower

Situated on lower ground, nearer a coast, or more southerly.

At a later place;

Older

(in writing) see below;

(transitive) To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down

On a floor below;

(transitive) to pull down

Further down;

(transitive) To reduce the height of

(transitive) To depress as to direction

(transitive) To make less elevated

(transitive) To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of

(transitive) To bring down; to humble

(reflexive) (lower oneself) To humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity.

(transitive) To reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.

(intransitive) To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease

(intransitive) To decrease in value, amount, etc.

To reduce operations to single machine instructions, as part of compilation of a program.

Alternative spelling of lour

To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down; as, to lower a bucket into a well; to lower a sail or a boat; sometimes, to pull down; as, to lower a flag.

To reduce the height of; as, to lower a fence or wall; to lower a chimney or turret.

To depress as to direction; as, to lower the aim of a gun; to make less elevated as to object; as, to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes.

To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of; as, to lower the temperature of anything; to lower one's vitality; to lower distilled liquors.

To bring down; to humble; as, to lower one's pride.

To reduce in value, amount, etc.; as, to lower the price of goods, the rate of interest, etc.

To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease; as, the river lowered as rapidly as it rose.

To be dark, gloomy, and threatening, as clouds; to be covered with dark and threatening clouds, as the sky; to show threatening signs of approach, as a tempest.

To frown; to look sullen.

Cloudiness; gloominess.

A frowning; sullenness.

The lower of two berths

Move something or somebody to a lower position;

Set lower;

Cause to drop or sink;

Make lower or quieter;

Look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval

(usually preceded by `no') lower in esteem;

Inferior in rank or status;

The bottom one of two;

Of the underworld;