after
Language: English
Part of speech: prep
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɑːftə/
note: Northern England, other non-rhotic without the trap–bath split
ipa: /ˈaftə(ɹ)/
ipa: /ˈæftəɹ/
ipa: [ˈäftɚ]
ipa: /ˈæfde̞ɹ/
ipa: /ˈɐːftə/
ipa: /ˈætə(ɹ)/
ipa: /ˈɑːtə(ɹ)/
rhymes: -ɑːftə(ɹ)
rhymes: -æftə(ɹ)
Etymology: From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”).
Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German/Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Swedish/Danish efter (“after”), Norwegian Nynorsk/Norwegian Bokmål etter (“after”), Icelandic eftir (“after”), aftur (“back, again”).
The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after...”).
Senses: examples: text: We had a few beers after the game.
raw_tags: chiefly US
text: The time is a quarter after eight.
text: The Cold War began shortly after WWII.
text: After you with the salt and pepper.
text: I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.
ref: 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
text: After early sparring, Spurs started to take control as the interval approached and twice came close to taking the lead. Terry blocked Rafael van der Vaart's header on the line and the same player saw his cross strike the post after Adebayor was unable to apply a touch.
ref: 2012 April 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 1-5 Chelsea”, in BBC:
text: From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.
ref: 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:
glosses: Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
examples: text: After your bad behaviour, you will be punished.
glosses: Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
Subsequently to and as a result of.
examples: text: I’m not putting you in charge again after the last disaster.
glosses: Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
Subsequently to and considering.
examples: text: After all that has happened, he is still my friend.
text: I can’t believe that, after all our advice against gambling, you walked into that casino!
glosses: Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
Subsequently to and in spite of.
examples: text: I'm tired of picking up after you. Why can't you clean your own messes?
glosses: Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
Subsequently to the actions of (someone), in order to remedy a situation.
raw_tags: with verbs related to cleaning or tidying
examples: text: day after day, time after time, mile after mile, beer after beer, smile after smile
glosses: Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
Repeatedly, seemingly in a sequence without end.
raw_tags: in reduplicative expressions
examples: text: I was after finishing my dinner when there was a knock on the door. [= I had just finished my dinner when ...]
text: He was after walking on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before, all the way from the County Limerick, where his brother, Father John, has a parish; and you may believe, the poor man was tired
ref: 1875, Patrick Kennedy, Evenings in the Duffrey, page 283:
text: Mother: Let him get away out of this now, himself and his share of songs. Look at the way he has your bib destroyed that I was after washing in the morning!
ref: 1906, Lady Gregory, “A Miracle Play”, in The Shanachie, volume 1:
text: When I woke up it was black-dark and the music was after stopping. I could taste the bread I was after eating in the dream, as sweet and luscious as any I ever knew
ref: 2004, Joseph O'Connor, Star of the Sea, page 40:
text: He asked directions to the dairy those milk cans had shown up late at. Corrigan pointed back the way he'd come and explained, “You'd have been after riding past their loading platform because they don't have their sign overlooking where the train would be after stopping.
ref: 2004, Tabor Evans, Longarm and the Great Milk Train Robbery:
text: "Yes. And where were you when the flood broke loose?" / "I would be most of the way to the Old House then. O'Loughlin was after running in wild to tell me he was hearing the Banshee out at The Old House, […]."
ref: 2008, M. P. Shiel, The Black Box, page 45:
glosses: Subsequently to; following in time; later than.
Used to indicate recent completion of an activity.
qualifier: usually preceded by a form of be
raw_tags: followed by an -ing form of a verb
examples: text: He will leave a trail of destruction after him.
text: I told her to shut the door after her.
text: Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,[…], and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
ref: 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
glosses: Behind.
examples: text: He’s after a job; run after him; inquire after her health.
glosses: In pursuit of, seeking.
examples: text: We named him after his grandfather.
text: This painting is after Leonardo da Vinci.
text: Work your horse in a calade, after the Italian way; ride him straight, and then you make good use of the calade.
ref: 1735, The Sportsman's Dictionary:
glosses: In allusion to, in imitation of; following or referencing.
examples: text: The princess is next in line to the throne after the prince.
glosses: Below, often next below, in importance or rank.
examples: text: to look after workmen; to enquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness
glosses: Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to.
glosses: According to (an author or text).
examples: text: He takes greatness of kingdoms according to bulk and currency, and not after their intrinsic value.
ref: a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC:
glosses: According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting.
Synonyms: post
Derived terms: sense: Expressions with "after"
word: accessary after the fact
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: accessory after the fact
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: a day after the fair
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after a fashion
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after all
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after all is said and done
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after a while
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after dark
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after-five
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after hours
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after image journal
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after me the deluge
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: afternoon
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after one's own heart
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after one's own soul
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after Saturday comes Sunday
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after school special
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after the fact
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after the jump
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after the Lord Mayor's show
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after us the deluge
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after-work
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: after you
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: before and after
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: close the barn door after the horse has bolted
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: close the stable door after the horse has been stolen
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: close the stable door after the horse has bolted
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: day after day
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: day after tomorrow
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: fish and company stink after three days
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: go after
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: it is easy to be wise after the event
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: letters after one's name
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: life after death
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: like a dog after a bone
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: morning after the night before
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: night after night
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: one after another
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: one after the other
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: one thing after another
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: pay good money after bad
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: pitch good money after bad
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: please repeat after me
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: pour good money after bad
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: shut the stable door after the horse has bolted
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: sought-after
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: spend good money after bad
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: sweet-after-death
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: the seventh water after kissel
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: they're only after one thing
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: throw good money after bad
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: time after bit
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: time after time
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: two days after tomorrow
sense: Expressions with "after"
word: walk after lunch
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: ask after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: chase after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: clean up after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: come after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: dangle after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: enquire after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: get after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: go after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: inquire after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: listen after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: look after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: lust after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: make after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: name after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: run after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: run around after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: set after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: take after
sense: Phrasal verbs with "after"
word: whore after