A subtle or underlying quality, meaning, or feeling that is not explicitly stated but can be perceived beneath the surface.
Compound of 'under' + 'tone,' originally referring to a subdued vocal tone. The metaphorical sense of hidden meaning developed from the idea of sounds that lie beneath more obvious ones.
Undertones work like emotional sonar! Just as submarines use sound waves that travel beneath the surface to navigate, we use undertones in speech to send messages that travel beneath the literal meaning of our words.
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