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