undertone (ˈʌndəˌtəʊn
)
Definitions
noun
- a quiet or hushed tone of voice
- an underlying tone or suggestion in words or actions ⇒
his offer has undertones of dishonesty
- a pale or subdued colour
Usage examples
One man had been murdered, and there was an undertone of old murders, missing people, strange relationships and nocturnal skulking.
, A Conviction of Guilt (1993)There is a nauseating undertone of elitism in Hamilton's work.
Spiked (2004)And the undertone of melancholia that sits beside the precise and beautiful descriptions of a provincial adolescence is very French.
Globe and Mail (2003)He lifted them to his face and breathed in Atlantic air, cotton and a slight manure undertone from the hen run near the line.
Glasgow Herald (2001)In an undertone , she continued, `No, he's not my lover, but my special friend, and that's how he will remain.
, WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS (2002)