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Undercurrent vs Undertone - What's the difference?

undercurrent | undertone |

As nouns the difference between undercurrent and undertone

is that undercurrent is a current which flows under the surface while undertone is an auditory tone of low pitch or volume.

undercurrent

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • a current which flows under the surface
  • (Totten)
  • (figuratively) A tendency of feeling or opinion that is concealed rather than exposed.
  • * George Eliot
  • All the while there was a busy undercurrent in her.
  • :The meeting was pervaded with an undercurrent of dread, as the managers tried not to admit firings were looming.
  • *{{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=May 9 , author=Jonathan Wilson , title=Europa League: Radamel Falcao's Atlético Madrid rout Athletic Bilbao , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=Although the crowd was predominantly red-and-white, there was also a Romanian flavour, which these days in football terms tends to mean there is at least an undercurrent of discontent. }}

    undertone

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • an auditory tone of low pitch or volume
  • an implicit message perceived subtly alongside, but not detracting noticeably from, the explicit message conveyed in or by a book, film, verbal dialogue or similar (contrast with overtone); an undercurrent
  • a pale colour, or one seen underneath another colour