WordGarden.iounderground
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈʌn.də.ɡraʊnd/especiallyfor thenoun
US
- /ˈəndərˌɡraʊnd/
Meanings
Adjective
located, built, or happening below the surface of the ground
secret, hidden from public view, or operating outside official channels
alternative, non-mainstream, or independent in culture, especially music or art
Noun
a subway or metro railway system, especially one running below street level
a hidden network, movement, or world operating outside public or official view
Beyond the definition
This word is not only about tunnels and subways. It can describe anything below the surface of the earth, like roots, pipes, or caves. It can also describe people, groups, or activities that are hidden from public view or outside the usual system.
You might hear about an underground music scene, an underground movement, or an underground economy. In these cases, the idea is not about being under the ground in a literal way. It means secret, hidden, unofficial, or sometimes illegal. The "Underground Railroad" is a famous historical example: it was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
The word underground has two main sides. First, it can mean physically below the surface of the earth. A tunnel, a cave, a train line, a pipe, or plant roots can all be underground. In this sense, the meaning is simple and literal: something is under the ground.
Second, it can describe people, groups, art, business, or ideas that stay hidden from the public or exist outside the mainstream. An underground movement works in secret, often because it is resisting those in power or trying to avoid punishment. An underground music scene is usually small, independent, and outside popular culture. An underground economy may involve unofficial or illegal trade.
The word often carries a feeling of secrecy, risk, and independence. If someone says a person "went underground," it usually means that person went into hiding. If people talk about underground networks or underground publications, they usually mean hidden systems that pass along help, news, or ideas away from public attention.
One important historical example is the "Underground Railroad." It was not a real railroad. It was a secret network of routes, safe houses, and helpers that helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the United States.
So this word can point either to the physical world below our feet or to hidden parts of society that operate quietly, secretly, or outside ordinary public life.
Examples
- 1
Utility lines
The pipes run underground from the street to the house.
- 2
Parking
We parked in the underground garage below the hotel.
- 3
Animal behavior
Some animals stay underground during the hottest part of the day.
- 4
Secret publishing
After the protests were banned, the group started publishing an underground newspaper.
- Phrasean underground newspaper
one made and shared secretly
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Music scene
The singer became famous first in the underground music scene.
- 6
Hiding
After the robbery, he went underground for several months.
- Phrasego underground
hide secretly to avoid being found
- 7
Illegal trade
The government promised to crack down on the underground trade in stolen phones.
See also
Similar
- subterranean
- belowground
- subsurface
Shades of meaning
Contrast
- aboveground
- surface-level
Used with (collocations)
- underground tunnel
- underground station
- underground parking
- underground cable
Word family
- under-
- ground
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- undergroundnounadjectiveadverb
Forms
- undergroundspluralnounadjectiveadverb