undercurrent

[ uhn-der-kur-uhnt, -kuhr- ]
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noun
  1. a tendency underlying or at variance with the obvious or superficial significance of words, actions, etc.: Even in his friendliest remarks, one could sense an undercurrent of hostility.

  2. a current, as of air or water, that flows below the upper currents or surface.

Origin of undercurrent

1
First recorded in 1675–85; under- + current

Words Nearby undercurrent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use undercurrent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for undercurrent

undercurrent

/ (ˈʌndəˌkʌrənt) /


noun
  1. a current that is not apparent at the surface or lies beneath another current

  2. an opinion, emotion, etc, lying beneath apparent feeling or meaning

  • Also called: underflow

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012