subway
SUHB-way
Subway (noun) means an underground railway system used for urban public transport. Example: “The subway is usually quicker than driving across the city at rush hour.”
noun
1
An underground railway system used for urban public transport.
"He is going to Westminster by subway."
"The subway is usually quicker than driving across the city at rush hour."
"Tourists often get lost the first time they use the subway."
"Just before you leave, the subway comes. You get on. It stops at the next station."
— Russel Baker, And Only Sixty Cents (1981)
"She takes the subway to work every morning."
2
An underground pedestrian tunnel or walkway.
"The children walked through the subway beneath the roundabout to reach school."
"The subway under the station was dark, so we took the footbridge."
"Use the subway to cross safely under the busy road."
"Heading beneath the tracks via the subway to the immediate north of the station takes us to the Didcot Railway Centre."
— Stephen Roberts, Stories and facts behind railway plaques: Didcot (1932) (2021)
How to use subway
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn underground train system, or (mainly in British English) an underground walkway.
UK vs US
In American English, "subway" means the underground train system (New York, Boston, etc.). In British English, it more often means an underground pedestrian tunnel, while the train system is called "the Underground" or "the Tube."
Common pairings
take the subway
subway station
subway line
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Word forms
- Plural
- subways
- Third person singular
- subways
- Past tense
- subwayed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ is usually quicker than driving across the city at rush hour.
Etymology
From sub- ("under") plus way.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for subway
See all rhymes for subway →Frequently asked questions
What does “subway” mean?
The word “subway” means an underground railway system used for urban public transport. In plain terms, an underground train system, or (mainly in British English) an underground walkway.
How do you pronounce “subway”?
“Subway” is pronounced SUHB-way (/ˈsʌbˌweɪ/ in IPA).
How do you use “subway” in a sentence?
Here is “subway” used in a sentence: “She takes the subway to work every morning.”
What is another word for “subway”?
Words with a similar meaning to “subway” include metro, Métro, tube, underground, underground railway and rapid transit.
What part of speech is “subway”?
“Subway” is a noun.
Is “subway” a common word?
“Subway” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “subway” have?
“Subway” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an underground railway system used for urban public transport.
What is the difference between a subway, a metro, and an underground?
All three can name an underground urban railway; the difference is mostly regional. "Subway" is the usual American term, "the Underground" (or "the Tube") is British, and "metro" is common across Europe and much of the world. They all describe the same kind of rapid-transit system.
Does "subway" mean the same thing in the US and the UK?
No. In American English a subway is an underground railway system for urban transport, like the New York City Subway. In British English "subway" usually means an underground pedestrian tunnel for crossing beneath a road; the railway is called the Underground, the Tube, or the metro.
What is the difference between a subway and an underpass?
Both can be passages beneath a road. In British English a "subway" is specifically an underground walkway for pedestrians, while an "underpass" may carry either pedestrians or vehicles under another route. In American English "subway" almost always means the underground railway instead.
Is the London Underground a subway?
In the American sense, yes — it is an underground urban railway, exactly what Americans call a subway. But Britons do not call it that: locally it is "the Underground" or "the Tube," and in Britain a "subway" is a pedestrian tunnel under a road.
