Word
undertone
Phoneticsun·der·tone, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈəndɝˌtoʊn/
UK/ˌʌndətˈəʊn/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a quiet feeling or meaning under what someone says or does. You notice it even when people do not say it clearly.
n. a subtle underlying meaning, feeling, or quality that accompanies the more obvious one. Also describes speech delivered in a low or muted voice.
Examples
“His voice has a kind undertone that calms me.”
“She says she supports the plan, but I hear an undertone of doubt in her voice.”
“The report maintains a neutral style, yet an undertone of urgency runs through its warnings about water shortages.”
Examples
simple
“His voice has a kind undertone that calms me.”
contextual
“She says she supports the plan, but I hear an undertone of doubt in her voice.”
complex
“The report maintains a neutral style, yet an undertone of urgency runs through its warnings about water shortages.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “undertone” in context.
Verb
01. catch undertone
“He caught a nervous undertone in the manager's reassuring email.”
verb + noun
02. detect undertone
“I could detect an undertone of jealousy in her congratulations.”
verb + noun
03. sense undertone
“Voters sensed a political undertone in the charity speech.”
verb + noun
04. undertone implies
“The undertone implies criticism, even though she praised the plan.”
noun + verb
Adjective
05. political undertone
“The debate had a clear political undertone about immigration policy.”
adj + noun
06. racist undertone
“The article was criticised for its racist undertone towards migrants.”
adj + noun
07. sexual undertone
“The comedy show had a strong sexual undertone throughout.”
adj + noun
08. sinister undertone
“His friendly speech had a sinister undertone that made everyone uneasy.”
adj + noun
09. a distinct undertone of anger
“Her calm voice had a distinct undertone of anger.”
10. carry a sinister undertone
“His joke carried a sinister undertone that silenced the room.”
11. detect a racist undertone
“Many readers detected a racist undertone in the newspaper column.”
12. sense an undertone of fear
“I could sense an undertone of fear in his confident speech.”
Usage
Commonly followed by 'of' to name the implied feeling, as in 'an undertone of anger'.
Real-World Examples
“This brutality is irresponsible and has a clear racist undertone.” “Age differences are common in these tropes, often with a moralizing undertone that pits youthful innocence against queer monstrosity .” “Your article ( 21 August ) about concerns raised by Healthwatch Rotherham that an AI telephone receptionist used by GP practices could not understand broad Yorkshire accents was amusing, but with serious undertones.” “The amber-colored oil, with its soft woody base note and faint vanilla undertone, tends to appear in formulation guides almost as an afterthought.” Etymology
From under- + tone.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/undertone