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.

---

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

---

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

"Our house was underwater for about 30 hours," office worker Kosin Nilset, who lives along the Premprachakorn canal on the outskirts of the capital, told AFP on Sunday morning.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

NWS said in its alert: "Prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore, including roads underwater and impacts to homes and businesses."

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Of particular interest were deposits called turbidites, which can form when underwater landslides send large amounts of sediment rushing downhill.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

McKinley stages a few bullet-sweating sequences of peril, including a particularly brutal transport of gold bars across a crumbling rope bridge and an underwater accident exacerbated by floating logs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

What he did was establish himself as the father of underwater archaeology and introduce the world to an enormously rewarding scientific discipline.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• submerged
• undersea