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

How Dutch footballers get dragged into drug wars The conviction of ex-Premier League defender Ronnie Stam for drug smuggling last week — expertly covered by Danny Taylor — wasn’t the first time a Dutch footballer has run into trouble with the criminal underworld. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

Her determined search leads her into a decades-old mystery rooted in the Detroit underworld. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025

The mako prowls its shadowy underworld with an arrogant confidence, propelled by languid sweeps of his large tail. —Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025

With the exception of one strange, teasingly surreal scene, which conjures the feel of a yakuza thriller set somewhere between a criminal underworld and a metaphysical overworld, Kurosawa sidesteps any hint of the supernatural. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 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