submarine
gb/sˈʌbmɚˌin/ us/sˈʌbmɚˌin/
B2
English
~ 8300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
military vessel that travels underwater
A special ship that can stay and move underwater, often used by the navy.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "submarine ship" instead of simply "submarine". Also, they may confuse "submarine" (a boat under the sea) with "subway" (an underground train).
Synonyms
sub (A very common short form, especially in military and news contexts; slightly more informal.)
|
submersible (A more technical word; usually refers to smaller or research-focused underwater craft, not large warships.)
Antonyms
surface ship (A general term for ships that travel on the surface of the water, not underwater.)
Collocations
nuclear submarine
|attack submarine
|enemy submarine
|submarine fleet
|board a submarine
|diesel-electric submarine
Themes
military
|transport
|technology
|sea
|transportation
|politics
Examples
- The navy deployed a submarine to monitor activity in the region.
- Tourists took photos as the nuclear submarine slowly left the harbor.
- During the war, many supply ships were sunk by enemy submarines.
- She spent six months living on a submarine in the Pacific.
- The new class of submarines can remain underwater for several months.
Learner examples
- The submarine moves quietly under the sea.
- He works as an engineer on a submarine.
- The submarine came up to the surface near the coast.
- They watched a movie about a submarine in danger.
- The navy bought a new submarine last year.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
2
long filled sandwich (US)
A long sandwich made with a long piece of bread, cut open and filled with meat, cheese, and vegetables.
Common mistake:
Learners often know the word "sub" for the sandwich but do not realize that "submarine" can also be used in some regions. They may also confuse this food meaning with the boat and think people are joking when they say "a submarine" for a sandwich.
Synonyms
sub (The most common everyday term in American English for this kind of sandwich.)
|
hoagie (A regional American term (especially around Philadelphia) for the same kind of sandwich.)
Antonyms
open-faced sandwich (A sandwich with only one piece of bread and the toppings on top, contrasting with a closed submarine sandwich.)
Collocations
order a submarine
|foot-long submarine
|meatball submarine
|Italian submarine
|toasted submarine
Themes
food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- I grabbed a turkey submarine for lunch on my way to class.
- They ordered one giant submarine to share at the party.
- She prefers a veggie submarine with extra cheese and olives.
- The shop is famous for its meatball submarine.
- He took the rest of his submarine home in a box.
Learner examples
- I had a big submarine for lunch.
- He bought a chicken submarine from the shop.
- We shared one submarine because it was very long.
- She likes a submarine with cheese and tomato.
- They sell hot and cold submarines at that store.
adjective
technical
C1
property
3
located or happening under the sea
Under the sea, or happening under the sea.
Usage pattern:
submarine [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "submarine" (adjective) with "submerged" and may say *"a submarine mountain under the lake"* where "underwater" or "submerged" would sound more natural if it is not the sea.
Synonyms
undersea (Very close in meaning; slightly more general and not as strongly technical.)
|
underwater (Broader everyday word; can refer to any water, not specifically the sea.)
Antonyms
surface (Used before nouns to describe things on the surface of the sea, not below it, e.g. "surface ship".)
Collocations
submarine cable
|submarine volcano
|submarine pipeline
|submarine canyon
|submarine environment
Themes
science
|technology
|sea
|nature
Examples
- The island is connected to the mainland by a submarine cable.
- Scientists are studying a submarine volcano near the trench.
- The new project involves laying a submarine pipeline across the bay.
- Submarine landslides can trigger tsunamis.
- They used special sensors to map the submarine landscape of the ocean floor.
Learner examples
- The city gets power through a submarine cable.
- A submarine volcano exploded deep under the sea.
- Engineers will build a submarine tunnel between the islands.
- We saw a picture of a submarine canyon in geography class.
- Submarine rocks can be dangerous for ships.
Verb
informal
C1
action
4
to secretly undermine or sabotage
To quietly and unfairly make someone’s plans or chances fail.
Usage pattern:
to submarine [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this verb always refers to an actual underwater boat. In informal contexts, however, it often means to ruin someone’s chances. Learners sometimes say *"destroy his promotion"* instead of more natural phrases like "hurt" or "submarine his promotion" in informal speech.
Synonyms
sabotage (Very close meaning; more common and neutral, while "submarine" sounds more colorful and informal.)
|
undermine (Focuses on slowly weakening; less dramatic but more common than "submarine".)
Antonyms
support (Means to help or strengthen someone’s chances, the opposite of secretly harming them.)
Collocations
submarine [someone]'s chances
|submarine a project
|feel submarined
|try to submarine [someone]
|politically submarined
Themes
work
|emotions
|conflict
|business
Examples
- She accused a colleague of trying to submarine her promotion.
- The leaked emails submarined his chances of winning the election.
- Last-minute changes from upper management completely submarined the project.
- He felt his own teammates had submarined him by refusing to share key information.
- The scandal submarined the company’s plan to expand into new markets.
Learner examples
- Some people tried to submarine his job interview.
- The bad news submarined their plans for a new store.
- She thinks her boss submarined her chance to get a raise.
- The mistake submarined the team’s hope of a win.
- The story in the news submarined the politician’s campaign.
Verb
technical
C2
action
5
to attack using submarines
To attack a ship by using a submarine, usually with torpedoes.
Usage pattern:
to submarine [a ship/target]
Common mistake:
This sense is rare and mainly appears in historical or military writing. Learners usually express this idea with "torpedo" or "sink" instead, which are more common.
Synonyms
torpedo (Emphasizes the weapon used; can be used as a verb in the same military sense but is also used figuratively in politics or business.)
Antonyms
escort (In naval contexts, to protect and guard ships, which is the opposite of attacking them.)
Collocations
submarined the convoy
|submarined several tankers
|merchant ships were submarined
Themes
military
|war
|sea
|politics
Examples
- Enemy forces submarined two merchant ships during the night.
- Several tankers were submarined as they passed through the narrow strait.
- The convoy was submarined before it could reach the harbor.
- Historical records show that many unarmed vessels were submarined in the early stages of the conflict.
Learner examples
- The warship submarined the enemy ship in the dark.
- Many ships were submarined during the war.
- The convoy was submarined far from land.
- In the story, a secret boat submarined a large ship.
Grammar
Dictionary form
submarine
IPA
GB/sˈʌbmɚˌin/
US/sˈʌbmɚˌin/
Syllables & stress
sub - mar - ine (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sub)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: submarine
Noun
- Base: submarine
- Plural: submarines
Word family
Forms
submarines
noun
Related words
submariner
noun
marine
adjective B1
Expressions
attack submarine
1/ətˈæk sˈʌbmɚˌin/
fixed phrase
technical
submarine for attacking other vessels
A type of submarine built mainly to find and attack enemy ships or submarines.
Examples
- The navy plans to build several new attack submarines over the next decade.
- An attack submarine shadowed the enemy fleet from a safe distance.
- Modern attack submarines are equipped with advanced sonar and missile systems.
ballistic missile submarine
1/bəlˈɪstɪk mˈɪsəl sˈʌbmɚˌin/
fixed phrase
technical
submarine that launches ballistic missiles
A submarine made to carry and fire long-range missiles, usually with nuclear warheads.
Examples
- The country keeps part of its nuclear force on ballistic missile submarines.
- A single ballistic missile submarine can carry dozens of long-range missiles.
- Ballistic missile submarines are often considered a second-strike nuclear force.
nuclear submarine
1/nˈukliɚ sˈʌbmɚˌin/
fixed phrase
technical
submarine with nuclear power source
A submarine that gets its power from a nuclear reactor and can stay underwater for a very long time.
Examples
- The country invested billions of dollars in a new nuclear submarine program.
- A nuclear submarine can remain submerged for months without surfacing.
- They spotted a nuclear submarine conducting exercises in international waters.
submarine sandwich
1/sˈʌbmɚˌin sˈændwɪt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
long filled sandwich (US)
A long sandwich made with a long bread roll cut open and filled with meat, cheese, and vegetables, also called a "sub".
Examples
- I ordered a large submarine sandwich with turkey and ham for lunch.
- They stopped at a deli and picked up a submarine sandwich to share on the road.
- This shop is famous for its meatball submarine sandwich.