undertone

[ uhn-der-tohn ]

/ ˈʌn dərˌtoʊn /

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See synonyms for: undertone / undertones on Thesaurus.com

noun

a low or subdued tone: to speak in undertones.

an unobtrusive or background sound: an undertone of static from the receiver.

an underlying quality or element; undercurrent: There was an undertone of regret in his refusal.

a subdued color; a color modified by an underlying color.

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Origin of undertone

First recorded in 1800–10; under- + tone

Words nearby undertone

underthings, underthroating, underthrust, undertime, undertint, undertone, undertook, undertow, undertrick, undertrump, underused

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use undertone in a sentence

Nancy Drew gave way to Hitchcockian psychological thriller with undertones of Crime and Punishment.
The More Bonkers Search Party Got, the More Authentically It Captured Millennial Adulthood|Judy Berman|January 7, 2022|Time
He deftly swerved around his opposition and its racial undertones to guide a country through some gnarly moments of racial reckoning.
A New Documentary Reminds Viewers of Barack Obama’s Pure Political Skill|Philip Elliott|August 5, 2021|Time
Since then I have been able to think with out the dark undertone in mind of nothing matters.
America’s mental health moment is finally here|Anna North|July 30, 2021|Vox
It’s an argument with classist and racial undertones, and also lacks supporting evidence.
What Rohingya refugees can teach US governors about the importance of work|Oliver Staley|June 22, 2021|Quartz

Like Buckhead, many of the movements have racial undertones.
Amid surge in violent crime, Atlanta’s wealthiest neighborhood ponders new city|Tim Craig|May 31, 2021|Washington Post
Smith speaks with perfect articulation and a vacuous undertone laces her words.
Shakespeare’s Movie Magic|Marina Watts, Malcolm Jones|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
David E. Kelley's The Crazy Ones got some huge support from Tassler "It has a great emotional undertone to the piece," she said.
CBS Announces 2013-14 Primetime Schedule|Jace Lacob|May 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I heard then a sigh next to me that had an undertone not unlike a snarl.
Remembering Nora Ephron as Our Dorothy Parker, but More|Stephen Schiff|June 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The undertone riffs off the “un-American” implications of the 2008 campaign directed at then-Sen.
They Still Think He's Muslim|John Avlon|June 12, 2009|DAILY BEAST
“Reduced counsels,” interposed Mr. Weller senior, in an undertone.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
Gradually and stealthily the king of the forest drew near, muttering to himself, as it were, in an undertone.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
He glanced at the watch upon his wrist, adjusted his monocle, and said something in an undertone to the captain.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
The pair, seated away in a corner, had been chatting in an undertone when they were compelled to rise.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
Dunwoodie spoke a few words with Henry in an undertone, and hastened from the apartment, followed by Frances.
The Spy|J. Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for undertone

undertone

/ (ˈʌndəˌtəʊn) /

noun

a quiet or hushed tone of voice

an underlying tone or suggestion in words or actionshis offer has undertones of dishonesty

a pale or subdued colour

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

undertone

Origin of undertone

Words nearby undertone

Words related to undertone

How to use undertone in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for undertone