Standard Lemma guide

underscore

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈʌn.dɚˌskoɹ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌʌn.dəˈskɔː(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌʌn.dɚˈskɔɹ/
  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N D ER0 S K AO1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A line drawn or printed beneath text; the character _.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: underline, low line

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A piece of background music.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To underline; to mark a line beneath text.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To emphasize or draw attention to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I wish to underscore the importance of proper formatting.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: underline

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stroke

6

verb

Meaning 6

draw a line or lines underneath to call attention to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: underline

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mark

7

verb

Meaning 7

give extra weight to (a communication)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Her gesture emphasized her words

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: underline, emphasize, emphasise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stress, emphasize, emphasise, punctuate, accent, accentuate

History

Etymology

From under- + score.

Across languages

Translations

98 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: падкрэ́сліванне (padkréslivannje) — an underline
  • Bulgarian: подчерта́ване (podčertávane) — an underline
  • Catalan: guió baix — an underline
  • Chinese Mandarin: 下橫線 /下横线 (xiàhéngxiàn) — an underline
  • Czech: podtržítko — an underline
  • Danish: bundstreg — an underline
  • Dutch: underscore — an underline
  • Esperanto: substreko — an underline
  • Finnish: alaviiva — an underline
  • French: tiret bas — an underline
  • French: souligné — an underline
  • French: blanc souligné — an underline
  • French: sous-tiret — an underline
  • French: tiret du 8 — an underline
  • Georgian: ქვეტირე (kveṭire) — an underline
  • German: Unterstreichung — an underline
  • German: Unterstrich — an underline
  • German: Grundstrich — an underline
  • Greek: υπογράμμιση (ypográmmisi) — an underline
  • Hungarian: aláhúzásjel — an underline
  • Hungarian: aláhúzás — an underline
  • Icelandic: undirstrik — an underline
  • Indonesian: underscore — an underline
  • Irish: fostríoc — an underline
  • Italian: trattino m basso — an underline
  • Japanese: アンダーバー (andābā) — an underline
  • Japanese: アンダースコア (andāsukoa) — an underline
  • Korean: 밑줄 문자 (mitjul munja) — an underline
  • Korean: 언더바 (eondeoba) — an underline
  • Macedonian: до́лна цр́та (dólna cŕta) — an underline
  • Macedonian: подвлеку́вање (podvlekúvanje) — an underline
  • Māori: ahungarua — an underline
  • Polish: podkreślenie — an underline
  • Polish: podkreślnik — an underline
  • Polish: podłoga — an underline
  • Portuguese: underline — an underline
  • Portuguese: sublinha — an underline
  • Portuguese: travessão — an underline
  • Russian: подчёркивание (podčórkivanije) — an underline
  • Slovak: podčiarkovník — an underline
  • Slovak: podčiarknutie — an underline
  • Slovak: podjebník — an underline
  • Slovene: podčrtaj — an underline
  • Spanish: guion bajo — an underline
  • Spanish: barra baja — an underline
  • Swedish: understreck — an underline
  • Tamil: அடிக்கோடு (aṭikkōṭu) — an underline
  • Tamil: அடிக்கீறு (aṭikkīṟu) — an underline
  • Turkish: alt çizgi — an underline
  • Turkish: alt tire — an underline
  • Ukrainian: підкре́слення (pidkréslennja) — an underline
  • Finnish: taustakappale — background music
  • Hungarian: háttérzene — background music
  • Italian: sottofondo m musicale — background music
  • Italian: musica di sottofondo — background music
  • Swedish: bakgrundsmusik — background music
  • Bulgarian: подчертавам (podčertavam) — to underline
  • Czech: podtrhnout — to underline
  • Esperanto: substreki — to underline
  • Finnish: alleviivata — to underline
  • French: souligner — to underline
  • German: unterstreichen — to underline
  • Greek: υπογραμμίζω (ypogrammízo) — to underline
  • Hungarian: aláhúz — to underline
  • Irish: fostríoc — to underline
  • Irish: folínigh — to underline
  • Irish: líne a chur faoi — to underline
  • Irish: stríoc a chur faoi — to underline
  • Italian: sottolineare — to underline
  • Macedonian: по́двлече (pódvleče) — to underline
  • Portuguese: sublinhar — to underline
  • Russian: подчёркивать (podčórkivatʹ) — to underline
  • Russian: подчеркну́ть (podčerknútʹ) — to underline
  • Spanish: subrayar — to underline
  • Swedish: stryka under — to underline
  • Tamil: அடிக்கோடிடு (aṭikkōṭiṭu) — to underline
  • Bulgarian: наблягам (nabljagam) — to emphasize
  • Czech: podtrhnout — to emphasize
  • Finnish: alleviivata — to emphasize
  • French: souligner — to emphasize
  • German: unterstreichen — to emphasize
  • Greek: υπογραμμίζω (ypogrammízo) — to emphasize
  • Hungarian: hangsúlyoz — to emphasize
  • Hungarian: nyomatékosít — to emphasize
  • Hungarian: kiemel — to emphasize
  • Hungarian: felhívja a figyelmet — to emphasize
  • Irish: béim a chur ar — to emphasize
  • Irish: béim a leagan ar — to emphasize
  • Italian: evidenziare — to emphasize
  • Italian: enfatizzare — to emphasize
  • Macedonian: и́стакне (ístakne) — to emphasize
  • Russian: подчёркивать (podčórkivatʹ) — to emphasize
  • Russian: подчеркну́ть (podčerknútʹ) — to emphasize
  • Spanish: subrayar — to emphasize
  • Spanish: recalcar — to emphasize
  • Swedish: understryka — to emphasize
  • Swedish: betona — to emphasize
  • Tamil: அடிக்கோடிடு (aṭikkōṭiṭu) — to emphasize