underworld

noun

un·​der·​world ˈən-dər-ˌwərld 

1

: the place of departed souls : hades

2

archaic : earth

3

: the side of the earth opposite to one : antipodes

4

: a social sphere below the level of ordinary life

the town's seedy underworld

especially : the world of organized crime

Synonyms

• abyss
• netherworld
• depths
• demimonde

Examples of underworld in a Sentence

a magazine article taking an insightful look at the underworld inhabited by street people

Recent Examples on the Web

For Findikoglu, whose designs interrogate traditional modes of femininity and unspools them into powerfully sensually looks, hair acts as armor and invitation into her gothic underworld. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025

But a younger crew was beginning to take shape in the Philadelphia underworld. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025

Instead of this underworld, niche product, it’s becoming institutionalized. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2025

The sequel to 2021's Furioza brings us back into the dark and unsettling Polish underworld, as a young scumbag gets stuck under the thumb of the police and has to infiltrate a notorious prison as an informant. —PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing underworld

• the underworld

Rhymes for underworld

• netherworld
• otherworld
• curled
• furled
• hurled
• knurled
• swirled
• twirled
• whirled
• whorled
• world
• lifeworld

Kids Definition

underworld

noun

un·​der·​world ˈən-dər-ˌwərld 

1

: the place of the souls of the dead

2

: the side of the earth opposite to one

3

: the world of organized crime