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subcurrent

American

[suhb-kur-uhnt, -kuhr-] / ˈsʌbˌkɜr ənt, -ˌkʌr- /

noun

a not clearly revealed or formulated direction of thought, intention, action, etc., underlying what is manifested.

His words, though ostensibly friendly, betrayed a subcurrent of hostility.

Etymology

Origin of subcurrent

First recorded in 1900–05; sub- + current

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

subcurrent

As a text, it hints at the subcurrent of popular culture that flows beneath our greatest literature.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 29, 2012

Baynell gave no outward and obvious sign of notice, but the subcurrent of brooding thought that occupied his mind was token of his evident comprehension and a nettled annoyance.

From The Storm Centre by Mary Noailles Murfree

She talked volubly, and with just that pitch in her voice that betrays a subcurrent of excitement.

From Gordon Keith by Thomas Nelson Page

The Rhine—romantic, cultivated, artificial, with a rough subcurrent and a muddy bed—through Germany.

From The Sowers by Henry Seton Merriman

I became interested and gradually took up with his speculation; for all my love of action I found that I had a strong subcurrent for the philosophical.

From The Blind Spot by Austin Hall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023