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Underline vs Highlight - What's the difference?

underline | highlight |

As nouns the difference between underline and highlight

is that underline is a line placed underneath a piece of text in order to provide emphasis or (in electronic documents) to indicate that it should be viewed in italics or that it acts as a hyperlink while highlight is an area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or photograph that is strongly illuminated.

As verbs the difference between underline and highlight

is that underline is to draw a line underneath something, especially to add emphasis; to underscore while highlight is to make prominent; emphasize.

As an adjective underline

is passing under a railway line.

underline

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A line placed underneath a piece of text in order to provide emphasis or (in electronic documents) to indicate that it should be viewed in italics or that it acts as a hyperlink.
  • The character .

    • Verb

    (underlin)
  • To draw a line underneath something, especially to add emphasis; to underscore
  • (figuratively) To emphasise or stress something
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 10 , author=Marc Higginson , title=Bolton 1 - 2 Aston Villa , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The Midlanders will hope the victory will kickstart a campaign that looked to have hit the buffers, but the sense of trepidation enveloping the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year underlines the seriousness of the predicament facing Owen Coyle's men.}}
  • (obsolete) To influence secretly.
    • By mere chance in appearance, though underlined with a providence, they had a full light of the infanta. — Sir H. Wotton.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Passing under a railway line.
  • * 1950 , Leonora Fry, C. W. Huxtable, Get to know: British railways (page 26)
    • Just as it was sometimes necessary to lower the road to take it beneath an underline bridge, so in this case it might be necessary to raise it.

    See also

    * (wikipedia) (typography marks) ----

    highlight

    English

    Alternative forms

    * hilite (informal)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An area or a spot in a drawing, painting, or photograph that is strongly illuminated.
  • An especially significant or interesting detail or event.
  • (cosmetology) A strand or spot of hair dyed a different color than the rest.

    • Antonyms

    * (especially significant or interesting detail or event) lowlight

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make prominent; emphasize.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 21 , author=Helen Pidd , title=Europeans migrate south as continent drifts deeper into crisis , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=The Guardian has spoken to dozens of Europeans who have left, or are planning to leave. Their stories highlight surprising new migration routes – from Lisbon to Luanda, Dublin to Perth, Barcelona to Buenos Aires – as well as more traditional migration patterns.}}
  • To be a highlight of.
  • To mark (important passages of text) with a usually fluorescent marker as a means of memory retention or for later reference.
  • To dye (part of the hair) a different color than the rest.