- to put a line under
- to state forcibly; emphasize or reinforce
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•der•line /ˈʌndɚˌlaɪn/USA pronunciation
v., -lined, -lin•ing, n.
v. [~ + object]
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026v. [~ + object]
- to mark with a line or lines underneath;
underscore:underlined the paragraph. - to indicate the importance of;
emphasize:underlined the need for caution.
n. [countable]
- a line drawn beneath;
underscore.
un•der•line
(v. un′dər līn′, un′dər līn′;n. un′dər līn′),USA pronunciation v., -lined, -lin•ing, n.
v.t.
n.
un•der•lin•e•a•tion
(un′dər lin′ē ā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
un′der•lin′er, n.
v.t.
- to mark with a line or lines underneath;
underscore. - to indicate the importance of;
emphasize, as by stressing or italicizing.
n.
- Printinga caption under an illustration.
- a line drawn under something;
an underscore.
- under- + line1 1715–25
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
underline vb /ˌʌndəˈlaɪn/ (transitive)
'underline' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):