underground

/ˈʌndərˌɡraʊnd/
noun
  1. A subway or metro system.
    • We took the underground to get across the city quickly.
    • She bought a ticket for the underground at the station.
    • The London underground is one of the oldest in the world.
  2. A secret political or resistance movement.
    • The underground helped smuggle documents out of the country.
    • He joined the underground to fight against the dictatorship.
    • Members of the underground met in hidden locations to plan their actions.
  3. A non-mainstream cultural scene or movement.
    • The underground of electronic music is constantly evolving.
    • He is a well-known figure in the punk underground.
    • The city has a thriving underground of artists and musicians.
adjective
  1. Located or operating beneath the surface of the ground.
    • The subway is an underground train system.
    • They built an underground bunker to store supplies.
    • Moles are animals that live in underground tunnels.
  2. Secret or hidden, especially in opposition to an established system or authority.
    • He was part of an underground network that helped refugees escape.
    • During the war, there was an underground resistance movement.
    • The group ran an underground newspaper that criticized the government.
  3. Relating to a non-mainstream, often experimental or alternative culture (e.g., music, art, film).
    • She loves listening to underground hip-hop that you never hear on the radio.
    • Underground comics often deal with topics that mainstream publishers avoid.
    • The film festival showcases underground movies from independent directors.
Antonyms
adverb
  1. Beneath the surface of the ground.
    • The pipes run underground to carry water to the houses.
    • The miners went underground to dig for coal.
    • Some animals burrow underground to escape the heat.
  2. In or into a secret or hidden state.
    • The organization was forced to operate underground after the new law passed.
    • He lived underground for years, using a false identity.
    • After the protest, the leaders went underground to avoid arrest.
What does "underground" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean