Other forms: undercurrents
An undercurrent is a hidden feeling running beneath the surface. An undercurrent of anger, undercurrents of resentment, an undercurrent of doubt.
It is nearly always of something unwelcome, since nobody reports an undercurrent of contentment. The literal one is a real danger in water, since a current below a calm surface is what drowns swimmers.
1nounundercurrentA hidden feeling running beneath the surface.
“Beneath the polite conversation there was an undercurrent of anger.”
undercurrent is a feeling.
Old French
corant
Middle English
curraunt
English
current
English, today
undercurrent
Built from
From under- + current. current comes from Middle English curraunt, from Old French corant. From Middle English curraunt, borrowed from Old French corant (French courant), present participle of courre (“to run”), from Latin currō (“to run”) (present participle currens). a doublet of courant.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA