Overtone vs. Undertone: What's the Difference?

An ulterior, usually implicit meaning or quality; an implication or a hint

An underlying or implied tendency or meaning; an undercurrent.

See harmonic.

A tone of low pitch or volume, especially of spoken sound.

A tone whose frequency is an integer multiple of another; a member of the harmonic series.

A pale or subdued color.

An implicit message (in a film, book, verbal discussion or similar) perceived as overwhelming the explicit message.

A color applied under or seen through another color.

(transitive) To give an overtone to.

An auditory tone of low pitch or volume.

One of the harmonics faintly heard with and at a higher frequency than a fundamental tone as it dies away, produced by some aliquot portion of the vibrating sting or column of air which yields the fundamental tone; one of the natural harmonic scale of tones, as the octave, twelfth, fifteenth, etc.; an aliquot or "partial" tone; a harmonic. See Harmonic, and Tone.

An implicit message perceived subtly alongside, but not detracting noticeably from, the explicit message conveyed in or by a book, film, verbal dialogue or similar (contrast with overtone); an undercurrent.

(usually plural) an ulterior implicit meaning or quality;

A pale colour, or one seen underneath another colour.

A harmonic with a frequency that is a multiple of the fundamental frequency

A low state of the physical faculties.

To accompany as an undertone.

To say or speak in an undertone.

To present as less important, noticeable or prominent.

A low or subdued tone or utterance; a tone less loud than usual.

A quiet or hushed tone of voice;

Subdued emotional quality underlying an utterance; implicit meaning

A pale or subdued color