/ ˈʌndətəʊn; NAmE ˈʌndərtoʊn/ noun
undertone (of sth) a feeling, quality or meaning that is not expressed directly but is still noticeable from what sb says or does
SYN undercurrent :
His soft words contained an undertone of warning.
The play does not have the political undertones of the novel.
—compare overtone
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IDIOMS
- in an undertone | in undertones