UNDERTONE

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does undertone mean? 

• UNDERTONE (noun)
  The noun UNDERTONE has 3 senses:

1. a quiet or hushed tone of voice

2. a subdued emotional quality underlying an utterance; implicit meaning

3. a pale or subdued color

  Familiarity information: UNDERTONE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNDERTONE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A quiet or hushed tone of voice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

spoke in undertones

Hypernyms ("undertone" is a kind of...):

tone; tone of voice (the quality of a person's voice)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A subdued emotional quality underlying an utterance; implicit meaning

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

undercurrent; undertone

Hypernyms ("undertone" is a kind of...):

meaning; substance (the idea that is intended)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A pale or subdued color

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

tinge; undertone

Hypernyms ("undertone" is a kind of...):

shade; tincture; tint; tone (a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color)

 Context examples 

"I'm wrought up to-day," he said in an undertone. "All I want to do is to love, not talk."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

In an undertone she gave some directions to Hannah.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Here Fanny, who could not but listen, involuntarily shook her head, and Crawford was instantly by her side again, entreating to know her meaning; and as Edmund perceived, by his drawing in a chair, and sitting down close by her, that it was to be a very thorough attack, that looks and undertones were to be well tried, he sank as quietly as possible into a corner, turned his back, and took up a newspaper, very sincerely wishing that dear little Fanny might be persuaded into explaining away that shake of the head to the satisfaction of her ardent lover; and as earnestly trying to bury every sound of the business from himself in murmurs of his own, over the various advertisements of A most desirable Estate in South Wales; To Parents and Guardians; and a Capital season'd Hunter.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)