underwater

American  

[uhn-der-waw-ter, -wot-er] / ˈʌn dərˈwɔ tər, -ˈwɒt ər /

adjective

1. existing or occurring under water.

2. designed to be used under water.

3. located below a ship's waterline.

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adverb

1. beneath the water.

   to travel underwater.

noun

1. the water beneath the surface.

   cold currents in the underwater.

2. underwaters, the depths, as of a sea, lake, etc.

underwater British  

/ ˈʌndəˈwɔːtə /

adjective

1. being, occurring, or going under the surface of the water, esp the sea

   underwater exploration

2. nautical below the water line of a vessel

3. (of a stock option or other asset) having a market value below its purchase value

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adverb

1. beneath the surface of the water

Etymology

Origin of underwater

First recorded in 1620–30; under- + water

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

underwater

Investors who backed Musk’s $44 billion takeover of Twitter had been underwater for months following the 2022 deal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Divers have said are keen to see the diving pools brought back into use and and water polo and underwater hockey players are hopeful the 50m pool could host matches and tournaments.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

A group of killer whales have been documented blowing a sunfish to bits in an unusual underwater escapade offering never-before-seen insights into orca behaviour, according to research released Thursday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Don spent three months in the Bahamas manning underwater cameras for the 1954 Disney film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

The river is flooding and half the island is underwater.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Related Words

• submerged
• undersea