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Definition of undertone noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

undertone

noun
 
/ˈʌndətəʊn/
 
/ˈʌndərtəʊn/
Idioms
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  1. undertone (of something) a feeling, quality or meaning that is not expressed directly but can still be understood from what somebody says or does synonym undercurrent
    • His soft words contained an undertone of warning.
    • The play does not have the political undertones of the novel.
    compare overtone
    Extra Examples
    • His voice carried bitter undertones.
    • The article was full of racist undertones.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • dark
    • sinister
    • subtle
    verb + undertone
    • carry
    • have
    preposition
    • in an undertone
    See full entry
Idioms
in an undertone | in undertones
  1. in a quiet voice
    • ‘I must leave now,’ he said in an undertone.
    • The couple at the next table were speaking in undertones.
See undertone in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
hide-and-seek
noun
 
 
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