English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

underfoot

adverb

Beneath one's feet, on the ground.

undergo

verb

To experience or go through something, especially a difficult or significant process.

undergrad

noun

An undergraduate student.

undergraduate

noun

A university student who has not yet earned a degree.

underground

adjective

Located beneath the surface of the ground.

undergrowth

noun

Low-growing plants, shrubs, and bushes beneath the trees in a forest.

underhand

adjective

Dishonest or sneaky, done secretly.

underhanded

adjective

Dishonest, sly, or deceitful.

underhill

adjective

Describing a road, path, or track that runs along the base of a hill.

underline

verb

To draw a line beneath a word or phrase for emphasis.

underling

noun

A person of lower rank or authority than another; a subordinate.

underlying

adjective

Situated beneath or below something else.

undermine

verb

To weaken support or confidence gradually, often secretly.

undermining

noun

The act of gradually weakening someone or something, often through subtle or indirect means.

underneath

preposition

Below or beneath something, often in contact with it.

underpaid

adjective

Paid too little for the work done.

underpants

noun

A piece of underwear covering the lower torso and genitals, worn beneath outer clothing.

underpass

noun

A road or path that runs beneath another road, railway, or similar obstacle.

underprivileged

adjective

Lacking the money, opportunities, or social advantages that most people have.

underrated

adjective

Not given as much credit or recognition as it deserves.

undersea

adjective

Existing or taking place beneath the surface of the sea.

undersecretary

noun

A government official ranking just below a secretary or minister, often heading a specific division of a department.

undershirt

noun

A light, close-fitting garment worn under a shirt, next to the skin.

underside

noun

The bottom or lower surface of something.

undersigned

adjective

Having signed at the bottom of a document.

understaffed

adjective

Not having enough staff to do the work properly.

understand

verb

To grasp the meaning of something.

understandable

adjective

Able to be understood; clear.

understandably

adverb

For reasons that make sense or are easy to sympathize with.

understanding

noun

The mental grasp of what something means or how it works.

understated

adjective

Simple and restrained rather than showy or exaggerated.

understatement

noun

A statement that presents something as smaller, milder, or less significant than it really is, sometimes for ironic effect.

understood

adjective

Grasped or accepted without needing to be stated directly.

understudy

noun

A performer who learns a role well enough to step in if the usual actor cannot perform.

undertake

verb

To take on a task or responsibility and commit to completing it.

undertaker

noun

A person or business that arranges funerals, including preparing the body and organizing the burial or cremation.

undertaking

noun

A task or project that someone takes responsibility for, especially a large or difficult one.

undertow

noun

A strong current beneath the surface of the water that pulls back out to sea after a wave breaks.

underwater

adjective

Existing or happening beneath the surface of water.

underway

adverb

In progress or already started.

underwear

noun

Clothing worn directly against the skin, beneath outer clothes.

underwood

noun

Low shrubs, bushes, and small trees growing beneath the taller trees of a forest.

underworld

noun

The organized criminal side of society, especially those involved in serious or large-scale crime.

undesirable

adjective

Not wanted; unpleasant or likely to cause problems.

undetectable

adjective

Impossible to notice or find using available methods.

undetected

adjective

Not noticed or discovered.

undetermined

adjective

Not yet decided or settled.

undeveloped

adjective

Not built up or used for a particular purpose, especially land.

undies

noun

A casual, informal word for underwear.

undignified

adjective

Lacking dignity; embarrassing or unbecoming.

undisciplined

adjective

Lacking self-control or order; not following rules or training.

undisclosed

adj

Not revealed or made public; kept secret.

undiscovered

adj

Not yet found or identified; still unknown.

undisputed

adj

Accepted by everyone as true or correct, with no argument against it.

undisturbed

adj

Left alone; not interrupted or interfered with.

undivided

adj

Whole and complete; not split into separate parts, or fully focused.

undo

verb

To reverse or cancel the effect of something already done.

undocumented

adj

Not recorded in official papers or written instructions.

undoing

noun

The cause of someone's failure or ruin.

undone

adj

Not finished or completed.

undoubtedly

adv

Without any doubt; certainly.

undress

verb

To take off one's clothes.

undressed

adj

Having taken one's clothes off, partly or completely.

undressing

noun

The act of taking off someone's or one's own clothes.

undue

adj

More than is reasonable or necessary; excessive.

unduly

adv

To an excessive or unwarranted degree.

undying

adj

Lasting forever; never fading or ending.

unearth

verb

To dig something out of the ground.

unearthed

adj

Not connected to an electrical earth (ground) wire.

unearthly

adj

Strange or eerie in a way that seems more than natural.

unease

noun

A feeling of worry, discomfort, or mild anxiety.

uneasiness

noun

A state of being nervous, restless, or anxious.

uneasy

adj

Feeling worried, nervous, or not at ease.

uneducated

adj

Not having received much or any formal schooling.

unemployed

adj

Without a job, despite being able and willing to work.

unemployment

noun

The state of not having a paid job.

unending

adj

Never stopping or finishing; seemingly endless.

unequal

adj

Not the same in size, amount, value, or status.

unequivocal

adj

Completely clear and leaving no room for doubt or misinterpretation.

unequivocally

adv

In a way that is completely clear, with no ambiguity.

unethical

adj

Not conforming to accepted moral or professional standards.

uneven

adj

Not flat or level; having bumps, dips, or irregularities.

uneventful

adj

Without anything interesting or noteworthy happening.

unexpected

adj

Not anticipated or predicted beforehand.

unexpectedly

adv

In a way that surprises; without warning.

unexplainable

adj

Impossible to account for or make sense of.

unexplained

adj

Not yet accounted for; of unknown cause.

unexploded

adj

Of a bomb or shell, not having gone off; still capable of exploding.

unexplored

adj

Not yet examined, visited, or investigated.

unfair

adj

Not fair or just; treating people unequally or wrongly.

unfairly

adv

In a manner that is not fair or just.

unfaithful

adj

Not sexually loyal to a partner; cheating.

unfamiliar

adj

Not known or recognised; strange.

unfashionable

adj

Not in keeping with current fashion or trends.

unfathomable

adj

So deep that it cannot be measured.

unfeeling

adj

Showing no emotion, sympathy, or compassion; callous.

unfettered

adj

Not held back by chains or shackles; physically free.

unfinished

adj

Not completed; still in progress.

unfit

adj

Not suitable or qualified for a particular purpose or role.

unflattering

adj

Making someone or something look worse than they really are.

unfocused

adj

Lacking a clear aim, direction, or concentration.

unfold

verb

To open out something that was folded.

unfolded

adj

Not folded; opened out flat.

unfolding

noun

The gradual process of something becoming clear or happening.

unforeseen

adj

Not expected or predicted in advance.

unforgettable

adj

So memorable that it cannot easily be forgotten.

unforgivable

adj

Too bad to be excused or forgiven.

unforgiving

adj

Unwilling to forgive others or show mercy.

unfortunate

adj

Having bad luck; suffering misfortune.

unfortunately

adv

Happening as a result of bad luck or misfortune.

unfounded

adj

Not based on facts or solid evidence.

unfreeze

verb

To thaw something that was frozen.

unfriendly

adj

Not friendly; cold or hostile in manner.

unfulfilled

adj

Not satisfied; feeling that one's goals or desires haven't been achieved.

Ung

name

A Chinese and Cambodian surname, corresponding to different origins depending on the country.

Unger

name

A German and Jewish surname, originally denoting someone from Hungary.

ungh

intj

An exclamation of strain, effort, or strong feeling.

ungodly

adj

Lacking reverence for God; not in keeping with religious teaching.

ungrateful

adj

Not thankful; failing to show appreciation for something received.

unguarded

adj

Not protected or watched over; vulnerable to attack.

unhand

verb

To let go of someone or something held in the hand or grip.

unhappily

adv

Without happiness; sadly or discontentedly.

unhappiness

noun

The state or feeling of not being happy.

unhappy

adj

Feeling or showing sadness.

unharmed

adj

Not hurt or damaged.

unhealthy

adj

Harmful to health, or lacking good health.

unheard

adj

Not perceived by the ear; not heard.

unhelpful

adj

Not providing useful help or assistance.

unhinged

adj

Mentally unstable or out of control.

unholy

adj

Not holy; wicked, evil, or sacrilegious.

unhook

verb

To remove something from a hook.

unhurt

adjective

Not hurt or injured; unharmed.

uni

noun

Informal British/Australian term for university.

UNICEF

noun

The United Nations agency that provides humanitarian aid and support to children around the world.

unicorn

noun

A mythical horse-like creature with a single horn growing from its forehead.

unicycle

noun

A pedal-powered cycle with just one wheel.

unidentified

adjective

Not identified; whose name or nature is unknown.

unification

noun

The act or process of joining separate parts into a single whole.

unified

adjective

Brought together into a single whole; acting as one.

uniform

noun

A distinctive set of clothes worn by members of a particular group, such as a school, army, or company.

uniformed

adjective

Wearing a uniform, especially as part of one's job.

unify

verb

To bring separate parts together into one; to make unified.

unifying

adjective

Bringing people or things together; creating a sense of unity.

unilateral

adjective

Undertaken by only one side or party, without agreement from others involved.

unimaginable

adjective

So extreme or unusual that it is hard to picture or believe.

unimaginably

adverb

To a degree that is hard to picture or believe.

unimportant

adjective

Not important; of little significance.

unimpressed

adjective

Not impressed; unmoved or unconvinced by something.

uninformed

adjective

Lacking knowledge or information about a subject; not well informed.

uninhabitable

adjective

Not fit to live in.