undertone
/ˈʌndə(ɹ)təʊn/ noun, verb
Forms undertones undertoning undertoned
- noun An auditory tone of low pitch or volume.
- noun (figurative) An implicit message perceived subtly alongside, but not detracting noticeably from, the explicit message conveyed in or by a book, film, speech or similar (contrast with overtone); an undercurrent.
- noun A pale colour, or one seen underneath another colour.
- noun A low state of the physical faculties.
- verb To accompany as an undertone.
- verb To say or speak in an undertone.
- verb To present as less important, noticeable or prominent.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From under- + tone.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “undertone”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details