underwater

adjective

un·​der·​wa·​ter ˌən-dər-ˈwȯ-tər 

-ˈwä-

1

: lying, growing, worn, performed, or operating below the surface of the water

underwater plants

2

: being below the waterline of a ship

3

a

: having, relating to, or being a mortgage loan for which more is owed than the property securing the loan is worth

b

: having, relating to, or being a stock option for which the price of the option is higher than the current market value of the stock

underwater adverb

Synonyms

• aquatic
• submarine
• submerged
• sunken

Examples of underwater in a Sentence

underwater plants don't require as much light to grow as surface plants

a vessel designed for underwater exploration

Recent Examples on the Web

Even so, unlike the housing bust that brought on the Great Recession in 2007-09, many homeowners aren’t struggling with underwater loans or failing to keep up with payments. —Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024

The giant reef system — which is so large it can easily be spotted from space — has bounced back from disturbances in the past, including underwater heat waves in 2016 and 2017 that triggered coral bleaching events so severe that scientists worried the reef would never look the same again. —Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024

These underwater forests, made of large brown algae, thrive off the coast, anchored to rocky reefs with their unique holdfast roots. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024

Many hotels and diving sites also offer tours into these underwater relics. —Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2024

At night, underwater LEDs and exterior strip lighting ensure the yacht glows like a mermaid’s rainbow purse. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024

But protecting the underwater ecosystem that maintains upwards of 25% of all marine species is not easy. —David Fischer, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024

The interior by Alberto Pinto remains a secret, aside from the yacht’s six pools, a 3,300-square-foot spa, and an underwater observation room. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024

Rocket-building skills also transfer over into other areas such as underwater exploration and defense industries, Christensen said. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

underwater

adjective

un·​der·​wa·​ter ˈən-dər-ˈwȯt-ər 

-ˈwät-

: lying, growing, worn, performed, or operating below the surface of the water

underwater plants

an underwater cave

underwater

-ˈwȯt-

-ˈwät-

adverb

Legal Definition

underwater

adjective

un·​der·​wa·​ter

1

: owing more on a mortgage loan than the property securing the loan is worth

underwater homeowners

2

: being or relating to a mortgage loan in which more is owed than the property securing the loan is worth

underwater mortgages

underwater properties