undercurrent

noun

un·​der·​cur·​rent ˈən-dər-ˌkər-ənt 

-ˌkə-rənt

1

: a current below the upper currents or surface

2

: a hidden opinion, feeling, or tendency often contrary to the one publicly shown

All of us, of course, are well aware that there is a strong undercurrent in our industrial societies of … anti-economic growth attitudes.

—Patrick E. Haggerty

undercurrent adjective

Examples of undercurrent in a Sentence

You could be pulled under water by the dangerous undercurrents.

Recent Examples on the Web

Add a bubbling undercurrent of fresh talent, an influx of new labels activating across the week, and the halo effect of the Winter Olympics, which concluded on February 22, and there’s a lot to consider at MFW FW26, running from February 24 to March 1. —Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2026

That fact is one undercurrent of Jennie Livingston's Paris Is Burning, which documents Harlem ball culture of the mid-to-late-'80s and finds a host of endearing performers all too eager to bring us into their orbit. —Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026

Down in the undercurrents of the internet, Dominique Pelicot found not just fantasy but community. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026

His account, delivered with his signature comedic flair, carried an unmistakable undercurrent of genuine terror. —Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for undercurrent

• countercurrent
• intercurrent
• overcurrent
• photocurrent
• concurrent
• decurrent
• noncurrent
• recurrent
• current

Kids Definition

undercurrent

noun

un·​der·​cur·​rent -ˌkər-ənt 

-ˌkə-rənt

1

: a current below the upper currents or surface

undercurrents of water

2

: a hidden current of opinion or feeling often different from the one openly shown