# supine

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈs(j)uːpaɪn/ · frequency rank #58,396

## Definitions
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.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/supine