English Explanatory Dictionary

supine

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Lying on its back.
  2. Turned facing toward the body or upward: with the thumb outward (palm up), or with the big toe raised relative to the little toe.
  3. Reluctant to take action due to indifference or moral weakness; apathetic or passive towards something.
  4. Inclining or leaning backward; inclined, sloping.
noun
  1. In Latin and other languages: a type of verbal noun used in the ablative and accusative cases, which shares the same stem as the passive participle.
  2. In Swedish, Faroese, Icelandic and Old Norse: a verb form that combines with an inflection of ha/hafa/hava to form the present perfect and pluperfect tenses.
  3. (obsolete terminology) The 'to'-prefixed infinitive in English or other Germanic languages, so named because the infinitive was regarded as a verbal noun and the 'to'-prefixed form of it was seen as the dative form of the verbal noun; the full infinitive.

Pronunciation

/ˈs(j)uːpaɪn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-supine.wav /ˌsuˈpaɪn/ /ˈsuˌpaɪn/

Word forms

supine more supine most supine supines

Etymology

The adjective is borrowed from Latin supīnus, from *sup- (see sub (“under”)) + -īnus (“of, pertaining to”). The word is cognate with Catalan supí, Italian supino, Old French sovin, Middle French souvin, Anglo-Norman supin, Old Occitan sobin, sopin, Portuguese supino, Spanish supino. Partly displaced Old English upweard (“upward, supine”), whence Modern English upward. The noun is from Late Middle English supin (“supine of a Latin verb”) or Middle French supin (“(grammar) supine”), from Latin supīnum, (ellipsis of supīnum verbum (“supine verb”)), from supīnus; further etymology above.

Synonyms

reclined passive peaceful lazy lethargic listless adiaphroistic apathetic apathistical blasé blithe deaf cool shiftless dispassionate dull enervated gallionic halfhearted heartless impassive ineffervescible insouciant indifferent insensible jaded languid languorous Laodicean lackadaisical lotophagous lukewarm meh mopey nonchalant nonplussed otiose phlegmatic pococurante spiritless supine tepid torpid torpedinous unaroused uncaring unconcerned unenthusiastic unimpressible uninterested unlively unmoved untouched unzealous world-weary inclined sloping

Antonyms

nonsupine prone prostrate

Related words

resupine gerund infinitive

Derived words

nonsupine non-supine semisupine semi-supine supinate supinated supination supinator supine hypotensive syndrome supinely supineness supinity supine tense
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