undertone
[uhn-der-tohn]
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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RELATED WORDS
undercurrent, tinge, overtone, connotation, atmosphere, trace, hint, hum, mutter, rumor, murmur, buzz, touch, implication, feeling, mumble, flavor, association
Origin of undertone
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for undertone
Contemporary Examples of undertone
I heard then a sigh next to me that had an undertone not unlike a snarl.
The undertone riffs off the “un-American” implications of the 2008 campaign directed at then-Sen.
Historical Examples of undertone
That,” she told her husband, in an undertone, “is a picture of the officer I saw on the lawn.
Adventurings in the PsychicalH. Addington Bruce
And yet there was an undertone in his expression which I could not define.
The Homicidal DiaryEarl Peirce
He walked abruptly out to where some of his men were standing by their horses, and he said something in an undertone.
The CoyoteJames Roberts
"But I can't," she was heard to murmur in an undertone to the disappointed Bruce.
Harriet and the PiperKathleen Norris
Now it was resonant and strong, though still only an undertone.
The Blind SpotAustin Hall
undertone
noun
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
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper