"undertone" meaning in All languages combined

See undertone on Wiktionary

Noun [English]

IPA: /ˈʌndə(ɹ)təʊn/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-undertone.wav [Southern-England] Forms: undertones [plural]
Etymology: under- + tone Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|under|tone}} under- + tone Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} undertone (countable and uncountable, plural undertones)
  1. An auditory tone of low pitch or volume. Tags: countable, uncountable Translations (auditory tone): полуглас (poluglas) [masculine] (Bulgarian), ton slab [neuter] (Romanian), ton reținut [neuter] (Romanian), semiton [neuter] (Romanian), приглушённый го́лос (priglušónnyj gólos) [masculine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-undertone-en-noun-QDCbsuqT Disambiguation of 'auditory tone': 90 2 5 2
  2. 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. Tags: countable, uncountable Translations (implied meaning): подтекст (podtekst) [masculine] (Bulgarian), sous-entendu [feminine] (French), Unterton [masculine] (German), Beigeschmack [masculine] (German), subînțeles [neuter] (Romanian), подте́кст (podtékst) [masculine] (Russian), underton [common-gender] (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-undertone-en-noun-2SyQW~db Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with under- Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 26 7 29 4 3 30 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with under-: 5 21 19 8 12 12 24 Disambiguation of 'implied meaning': 30 45 19 5
  3. A pale colour, or one seen underneath another colour. Tags: countable, uncountable Translations (colour): полутон (poluton) [masculine] (Bulgarian), nuance [feminine] (French), нюа́нс (njuáns) [masculine] (Russian), отте́нок (otténok) [masculine] (Russian), полуто́н (polutón) (Russian)
    Sense id: en-undertone-en-noun-2zN9PXvo Categories (other): English terms prefixed with under- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with under-: 5 21 19 8 12 12 24 Disambiguation of 'colour': 0 0 100 0
  4. A low state of the physical faculties. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-undertone-en-noun-DW~kTv~r Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 26 7 29 4 3 30
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: underhue

Verb [English]

IPA: /ˈʌndə(ɹ)təʊn/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-undertone.wav [Southern-England] Forms: undertones [present, singular, third-person], undertoning [participle, present], undertoned [participle, past], undertoned [past]
Etymology: under- + tone Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|under|tone}} under- + tone Head templates: {{en-verb}} undertone (third-person singular simple present undertones, present participle undertoning, simple past and past participle undertoned)
  1. To accompany as an undertone.
    Sense id: en-undertone-en-verb-mlNSmwwv Categories (other): English terms prefixed with under- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with under-: 5 21 19 8 12 12 24
  2. To say or speak in an undertone. Translations (say or utter in an undertone): whakakōingoingo (Maori)
    Sense id: en-undertone-en-verb-Ny0XEep2 Categories (other): English terms prefixed with under- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with under-: 5 21 19 8 12 12 24 Disambiguation of 'say or utter in an undertone': 21 79 0
  3. To present as less important, noticeable or prominent. Synonyms (present as less important): de-emphasize, downplay
    Sense id: en-undertone-en-verb-dK6ko9tR Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with under- Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 1 26 7 29 4 3 30 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with under-: 5 21 19 8 12 12 24 Disambiguation of 'present as less important': 1 0 99

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for undertone meaning in All languages combined (10.4kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "under",
        "3": "tone"
      },
      "expansion": "under- + tone",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "under- + tone",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "undertones",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "undertone (countable and uncountable, plural undertones)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An auditory tone of low pitch or volume."
      ],
      "id": "en-undertone-en-noun-QDCbsuqT",
      "links": [
        [
          "auditory",
          "auditory"
        ],
        [
          "tone",
          "tone"
        ],
        [
          "low",
          "low"
        ],
        [
          "pitch",
          "pitch"
        ],
        [
          "volume",
          "volume"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "90 2 5 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "poluglas",
          "sense": "auditory tone",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "полуглас"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 2 5 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "auditory tone",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "ton slab"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 2 5 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "auditory tone",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "ton reținut"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 2 5 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "auditory tone",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "semiton"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 2 5 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "priglušónnyj gólos",
          "sense": "auditory tone",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "приглушённый го́лос"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "overtone"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "1 26 7 29 4 3 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 21 19 8 12 12 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with under-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "id": "en-undertone-en-noun-2SyQW~db",
      "links": [
        [
          "implicit",
          "implicit"
        ],
        [
          "message",
          "message"
        ],
        [
          "explicit",
          "explicit"
        ],
        [
          "overtone",
          "overtone#English"
        ],
        [
          "undercurrent",
          "undercurrent"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "30 45 19 5",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "podtekst",
          "sense": "implied meaning",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "подтекст"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 45 19 5",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "implied meaning",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "sous-entendu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 45 19 5",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "implied meaning",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Unterton"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 45 19 5",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "implied meaning",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Beigeschmack"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 45 19 5",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "implied meaning",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "subînțeles"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 45 19 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "podtékst",
          "sense": "implied meaning",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "подте́кст"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 45 19 5",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "implied meaning",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "underton"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "5 21 19 8 12 12 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with under-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A pale colour, or one seen underneath another colour."
      ],
      "id": "en-undertone-en-noun-2zN9PXvo",
      "links": [
        [
          "pale",
          "pale"
        ],
        [
          "colour",
          "colour"
        ],
        [
          "underneath",
          "underneath"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 100 0",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "poluton",
          "sense": "colour",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "полутон"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 100 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "colour",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "nuance"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 100 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "njuáns",
          "sense": "colour",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "нюа́нс"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 100 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "otténok",
          "sense": "colour",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "отте́нок"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 100 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "polutón",
          "sense": "colour",
          "word": "полуто́н"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "1 26 7 29 4 3 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1905, Medical Review, volumes 51-52, page 171",
          "text": "Sedentary occupations are likely to result in undertone, and this undertone not being relieved by physiological means, constipation is a probable outcome.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A low state of the physical faculties."
      ],
      "id": "en-undertone-en-noun-DW~kTv~r",
      "links": [
        [
          "physical",
          "physical"
        ],
        [
          "faculties",
          "faculty"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʌndə(ɹ)təʊn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-undertone.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "underhue"
    }
  ],
  "word": "undertone"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of “present as less important”",
      "word": "accent"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of “present as less important”",
      "word": "accentuate"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "under",
        "3": "tone"
      },
      "expansion": "under- + tone",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "under- + tone",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "undertones",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "undertoning",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "undertoned",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "undertoned",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "undertone (third-person singular simple present undertones, present participle undertoning, simple past and past participle undertoned)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "5 21 19 8 12 12 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with under-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1941, Emily Carr, chapter 1, in Klee Wyck",
          "text": "The Missionary's address rolled on in choppy Chinook, undertoned by a gentle voice from the back of the room which told Tanook in pure Indian words what he was to do.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1951 January, Arthur Leo Zagat, chapter 7, in Fantastic Novels Magazine",
          "text": "Undertoning the howling siren I was aware of a distant swish, like that of a hurricane’s forerunning wind through palm fronds.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To accompany as an undertone."
      ],
      "id": "en-undertone-en-verb-mlNSmwwv",
      "links": [
        [
          "accompany",
          "accompany"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "5 21 19 8 12 12 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with under-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1861, George Meredith, Evan Harrington, Chapter 30, Part 1",
          "text": "Evan paid no attention to him, and answered none of his hasty undertoned questions.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1887, R. M. Ballantyne, chapter 13, in The Big Otter",
          "text": "At first, when the net was being prepared, those children of the forest had merely stood by and looked on with curiosity. When Blondin and his men rowed out from the shore, letting the net drop off the stern of our boat as they went, they indulged in a few guesses and undertoned remarks.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1984, Greg Bear, chapter 11, in Corona, Simon and Schuster, published 2000",
          "text": "“He handles that pallet like it was a mule,” McCoy undertoned, passing Mason. Mason grinned and fell in behind.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1999, Thomas Sullivan, chapter 35, in The Martyring, Crossroad Press, published 2015",
          "text": "“How come there’s never any birds in cemeteries?” Skelote undertoned. “Squirrels, rabbits, but no birds.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To say or speak in an undertone."
      ],
      "id": "en-undertone-en-verb-Ny0XEep2",
      "links": [
        [
          "say",
          "say"
        ],
        [
          "speak",
          "speak"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "21 79 0",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "say or utter in an undertone",
          "word": "whakakōingoingo"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "1 26 7 29 4 3 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 21 19 8 12 12 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with under-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1866, {unattributed}, Littell's Living Age - Volume 88 - Page 427",
          "text": "Men rarely make this mistake, their habitual blunder being to undertone everything, to make too light of Julia's new frock, and Johnnie's symptoms of measles, and the way they waste things down stairs."
        },
        {
          "text": "2010, Maddy Myers, “Arisia 2010: the Sexiest of Sci-Fi Cons,” thephoenix.com, 26 January, 2010,\nIt’s hard enough to separate the geeks from the creeps at your average Anime con (it’s more of a Venn Diagram than an either/or, really). The task becomes even more difficult at Arisia, where the sexual undertones are … not particularly undertoned."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To present as less important, noticeable or prominent."
      ],
      "id": "en-undertone-en-verb-dK6ko9tR",
      "links": [
        [
          "present",
          "present"
        ],
        [
          "important",
          "important"
        ],
        [
          "noticeable",
          "noticeable"
        ],
        [
          "prominent",
          "prominent"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 0 99",
          "sense": "present as less important",
          "word": "de-emphasize"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 0 99",
          "sense": "present as less important",
          "word": "downplay"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʌndə(ɹ)təʊn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-undertone.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav.mp3",
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      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "undertone"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 3-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms prefixed with under-",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "under",
        "3": "tone"
      },
      "expansion": "under- + tone",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "under- + tone",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "undertones",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "undertone (countable and uncountable, plural undertones)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An auditory tone of low pitch or volume."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "auditory",
          "auditory"
        ],
        [
          "tone",
          "tone"
        ],
        [
          "low",
          "low"
        ],
        [
          "pitch",
          "pitch"
        ],
        [
          "volume",
          "volume"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "overtone"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "implicit",
          "implicit"
        ],
        [
          "message",
          "message"
        ],
        [
          "explicit",
          "explicit"
        ],
        [
          "overtone",
          "overtone#English"
        ],
        [
          "undercurrent",
          "undercurrent"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A pale colour, or one seen underneath another colour."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "pale",
          "pale"
        ],
        [
          "colour",
          "colour"
        ],
        [
          "underneath",
          "underneath"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1905, Medical Review, volumes 51-52, page 171",
          "text": "Sedentary occupations are likely to result in undertone, and this undertone not being relieved by physiological means, constipation is a probable outcome.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A low state of the physical faculties."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "physical",
          "physical"
        ],
        [
          "faculties",
          "faculty"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʌndə(ɹ)təʊn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-undertone.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "underhue"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "poluglas",
      "sense": "auditory tone",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "полуглас"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "auditory tone",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "ton slab"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "auditory tone",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "ton reținut"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "auditory tone",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "semiton"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "priglušónnyj gólos",
      "sense": "auditory tone",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "приглушённый го́лос"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "podtekst",
      "sense": "implied meaning",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "подтекст"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "implied meaning",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "sous-entendu"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "implied meaning",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Unterton"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "implied meaning",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Beigeschmack"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "implied meaning",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "subînțeles"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "podtékst",
      "sense": "implied meaning",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "подте́кст"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "implied meaning",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "underton"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "poluton",
      "sense": "colour",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "полутон"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "colour",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "nuance"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "njuáns",
      "sense": "colour",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "нюа́нс"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "otténok",
      "sense": "colour",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "отте́нок"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "polutón",
      "sense": "colour",
      "word": "полуто́н"
    }
  ],
  "word": "undertone"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of “present as less important”",
      "word": "accent"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of “present as less important”",
      "word": "accentuate"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English 3-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms prefixed with under-",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "under",
        "3": "tone"
      },
      "expansion": "under- + tone",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "under- + tone",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "undertones",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "undertoning",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "undertoned",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "undertoned",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "undertone (third-person singular simple present undertones, present participle undertoning, simple past and past participle undertoned)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1941, Emily Carr, chapter 1, in Klee Wyck",
          "text": "The Missionary's address rolled on in choppy Chinook, undertoned by a gentle voice from the back of the room which told Tanook in pure Indian words what he was to do.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1951 January, Arthur Leo Zagat, chapter 7, in Fantastic Novels Magazine",
          "text": "Undertoning the howling siren I was aware of a distant swish, like that of a hurricane’s forerunning wind through palm fronds.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To accompany as an undertone."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "accompany",
          "accompany"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1861, George Meredith, Evan Harrington, Chapter 30, Part 1",
          "text": "Evan paid no attention to him, and answered none of his hasty undertoned questions.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1887, R. M. Ballantyne, chapter 13, in The Big Otter",
          "text": "At first, when the net was being prepared, those children of the forest had merely stood by and looked on with curiosity. When Blondin and his men rowed out from the shore, letting the net drop off the stern of our boat as they went, they indulged in a few guesses and undertoned remarks.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1984, Greg Bear, chapter 11, in Corona, Simon and Schuster, published 2000",
          "text": "“He handles that pallet like it was a mule,” McCoy undertoned, passing Mason. Mason grinned and fell in behind.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1999, Thomas Sullivan, chapter 35, in The Martyring, Crossroad Press, published 2015",
          "text": "“How come there’s never any birds in cemeteries?” Skelote undertoned. “Squirrels, rabbits, but no birds.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To say or speak in an undertone."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "say",
          "say"
        ],
        [
          "speak",
          "speak"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1866, {unattributed}, Littell's Living Age - Volume 88 - Page 427",
          "text": "Men rarely make this mistake, their habitual blunder being to undertone everything, to make too light of Julia's new frock, and Johnnie's symptoms of measles, and the way they waste things down stairs."
        },
        {
          "text": "2010, Maddy Myers, “Arisia 2010: the Sexiest of Sci-Fi Cons,” thephoenix.com, 26 January, 2010,\nIt’s hard enough to separate the geeks from the creeps at your average Anime con (it’s more of a Venn Diagram than an either/or, really). The task becomes even more difficult at Arisia, where the sexual undertones are … not particularly undertoned."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To present as less important, noticeable or prominent."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "present",
          "present"
        ],
        [
          "important",
          "important"
        ],
        [
          "noticeable",
          "noticeable"
        ],
        [
          "prominent",
          "prominent"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈʌndə(ɹ)təʊn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-undertone.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/88/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-undertone.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "present as less important",
      "word": "de-emphasize"
    },
    {
      "sense": "present as less important",
      "word": "downplay"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "say or utter in an undertone",
      "word": "whakakōingoingo"
    }
  ],
  "word": "undertone"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.