undertone

英 [ˈʌndətəʊn]

美 [ˈʌndərtoʊn]

n.  蕴涵的感情(或特质、意思); 寓意; 弦外之音

复数：undertones　第三人称单数：undertones　

BNC.18589 / COCA.18524

习惯用语

n.

in an undertonein undertones
• 低声地；小声地
  in a quiet voice

牛津词典

noun

• 蕴涵的感情（或特质、意思）；寓意；弦外之音
  a feeling, quality or meaning that is not expressed directly but is still noticeable from what sb says or does
  1. His soft words contained an undertone of warning.
     他温和的话中蕴涵着警告之意。
  2. The play does not have the political undertones of the novel.
     这部戏没有小说的那种政治寓意。

柯林斯词典

• N-COUNT 低声；悄声
  If you say somethinginanundertone, you say it very quietly.
  1. 'What d'you think?' she asked in an undertone...
     “你觉得怎么样？”她小声地问道。
  2. Well-dressed clients were talking in polite undertones as they ate.
     衣着光鲜的顾客们边吃边斯文地低声聊着天。
• N-COUNT 言下之意；寓意
  If something hasundertonesof a particular kind, it suggests ideas or attitudes of this kind without expressing them directly.
  1. The sobbing voice had an undertone of anger.
     啜泣声中隐隐透着愤怒。
  2. ...a witty, racy story with surprisingly serious undertones.
     诙谐却寓意深刻的荤段子

英英释义

noun

• a pale or subdued color
  Synonym:tinge
• a subdued emotional quality underlying an utterance
  Synonym:undercurrent
• a quiet or hushed tone of voice
  1. spoke in undertones

双语例句

• The young director filmed this story in a bittersweet undertone, playing with fictional and documentary codes.
  年轻的导演以一种苦乐参半的语调讲述了这个故事，虚构与纪实的因素穿插其间。
• Mrs. Fisher added in an undertone to Selden.
  费雪太太小声对赛尔登说。
• Across town, at Cones, in the West Village, corn ice cream comes with a toasty undertone and a dusting of cinnamon.
  在城的另一端，西村圆筒冰激凌店（Cones）里的玉米冰激凌有烤面包的底色，外面撒了一层肉桂。
• In an undertone he gave me the lowdown on them.
  他低声给我有关他们的底细。
• Now she caught the low undertone, as of the wind sinking down to repose itself; then ascended with it, as it rose through progressive gradations of sweetness and power, until its volume seemed to envelop her with an atmosphere of awe and solemn grandeur.
  如今她聆听着那低低的音调，犹如大风缓吹，逐渐平患一般；然后，她又随着那步步上升的甜美和力量飞腾，直到那音量似乎用敬畏和庄严的宏体氛围将她包裹起来。
• The warning undertone is that unless we, as consumers, purchase the components of childhood we might not get it right.
  一个微弱的声音警告说，作为消费者，如果我们不购买这些童年构成品，我们就可能做错。
• Well-dressed clients were talking in polite undertones as they ate.
  衣着光鲜的顾客们边吃边斯文地低声聊着天。
• He turned back to the boy and said in a trusting and secretive undertone: "let's not pay any attention to him ok?"
  他又转向男孩，用一种信任而机密的口气小声说，“咱们别理他，嗯？”
• There was an undertone of bitterness in his words.
  他话中有刺。
• The sobbing voice had an undertone of anger.
  啜泣声中隐隐透着愤怒。