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undercurrent
[ uhn-der-kur-uhnt, -kuhr- ]
undercurrent
/ ˈʌԻəˌʌəԳ /
noun
- a current that is not apparent at the surface or lies beneath another current
- an opinion, emotion, etc, lying beneath apparent feeling or meaning
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of undercurrent1
Example Sentences
One of the undercurrents in Thomson’s writing is the admission of the casual violence that surrounded them, and the sense that the family was not particularly adept at discussing feelings.
That said, both musically and personally, there’s often an undercurrent of sarcasm and even some levity in and around the darkness.
Those questions of fit have been an undercurrent through most of the season, for more than just Iriafen.
There’s an undercurrent of strange tension that flows through “Sorry, Baby.”
Like the best of Cohen’s songs, "You Want It Darker" carries an undercurrent of thrilling subversion, the sense of expressing forbidden but undeniable thoughts.
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More About Undercurrent
What is an undercurrent?
An undercurrent is a flow of water or air that moves below the highest current or the surface.
Undercurrent is more often used figuratively to mean a tendency underlying or at odds with what’s on the surface, as in While the two candidates smiled and shook hands, everyone in the room could feel the undercurrent of aggression between them.
Example: The undercurrent at the beach today was so strong, I worried it was going to carry me out to sea!
Where does undercurrent come from?
The first records of the term undercurrent come from around 1675. It combines
the prefix under–, used to indicate place or situation below or beneath, and the term current, which describes a flow or stream. In most cases, water and wind currents flow with the warmest on top and coolest on the bottom. Because of this, an undercurrent is usually colder than those above it.
Undercurrents are often talked about in meteorology and oceanography. The undercurrent of a storm may cause a cold front to come in, for example. When used figuratively, an undercurrent refers to a true significance or meaning of words that differ from what they seem to mean. For example, two people could say that they want to be friends while the undercurrent to their words is to make a business deal.
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How is undercurrent used in real life?
Undercurrent is frequently used in its literal sense in discussions about water or weather. It is also often used figuratively, especially when the speaker thinks someone is hiding their true intentions.
I'm hooked on OZARK. There's an undercurrent of black humor running through it that makes it special.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing)
There's a constant undercurrent of fear that software innovation will eliminate jobs, but so far we have a 30-year industry track record of software being so ill-conceived that it winds up creating two new jobs for each one that it renders redundant.
— Justin Searls (@searls)
Honestly there are a lot of journalists you can criticize for how they cover tech, but if you're going after you're missing the mark. She's a professional, and great at her job. Really indicative of the undercurrent of misogyny that women face in this industry.
— 𝙅𝘼𝙈𝙀𝙎 𝙈𝘾𝙇𝙀𝙊𝘿 (@jamespmcleod)
Try using undercurrent!
Is undercurrent used correctly in the following sentence?
Did I sense an undercurrent of disdain in his comments about inclusivity in the workplace?
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