Standard Lemma guide

underway

adv · noun · 5 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: /ʌndəˈweɪ/
  • General-American: /ʌndəɹˈweɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪ
  • /ˈʌndə(ɹ)weɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N D ER0 W EY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In motion, in progress; being done or carried out; on a journey.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A road, track, path, or street for going under another way or obstacle; an underpass.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An underground passage, subway, tunnel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A voyage, especially underwater.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

currently in progress

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there is mischief afoot
  • plans are afoot
  • preparations for the trial are underway

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: afoot(p)

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Calque of Dutch onderweg (“underway”), equivalent to under- + way. Compare also German unterwegs.

From under + way.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 在進行中的 /在进行中的 (zài jìnxíng zhōng de) — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Danish: i gang — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Dutch: onderweg — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Finnish: käynnissä — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Finnish: liikkeellä — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Finnish: tekeillä — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Finnish: työn alla — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Finnish: tulossa — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • French: en cours — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • German: im Gange — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • German: angelaufen — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • German: eingeleitet — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • German: laufend — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • German: unterwegs — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Hungarian: folyamatban — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Hungarian: folyik — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Hungarian: zajlik — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Hungarian: halad — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Irish: ar bun — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Irish: ar siúl — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Italian: in corso — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Japanese: 進行中で (shinkōchū de) — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Polish: w toku — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Portuguese: em andamento — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Russian: в проце́ссе (v procésse) — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Russian: в движе́нии (v dvižénii) — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Russian: ведётся (vedjótsja) — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Russian: веду́тся (vedútsja) — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Spanish: en curso — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Spanish: en marcha — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Spanish: siendo realizado — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Spanish: en proceso — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Swedish: på väg — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Swedish: på gång — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Welsh: ar y gwëyll — in motion, in progress; being done or carried out
  • Finnish: alikulku — road, track, path, or street for going under an obstacle
  • Finnish: alikulku — underground passage, tunnel
  • German: Unterführung — underground passage, tunnel
  • Hungarian: alagút — underground passage, tunnel
  • Finnish: matka — voyage, especially underwater
  • German: Unterwasser-Reise — voyage, especially underwater
  • German: U-Boot-Fahrt — voyage, especially underwater
Real reading context

underway in complete knowledge articles