underwater
gb/ˈʌndɚwˌɔtɚ/ us/ˈʌndɚwˌɔtɚ/
A2
英语
~ 9300
义项
0 个义项
adjective
A2
property
1
Located or happening below water
Below the top of the water; happening or being under the water.
用法模式：
[something] is underwater
常见错误：
Learners sometimes say *"in the underwater world"* when they simply mean *"underwater"*. Use *"underwater"* before a noun (e.g., *underwater world, underwater camera*) or after *be* (e.g., *The cave is underwater*), and use *"under the water"* mainly for specific locations (e.g., *The toy is under the water in the bathtub*).
近义词
submerged (Often suggests something is fully covered by water, sometimes accidentally or unusually.)
|
subaquatic (More formal and technical; commonly used in scientific contexts.)
反义词
above water (Describes something that is not covered by water and remains in the air.)
搭配
underwater camera
|underwater cave
|underwater world
|underwater life
|underwater filming
|underwater explosion
主题
nature
|travel
|science
|core_vocabulary
例句
- The divers explored an underwater cave near the island.
- We used an underwater camera to photograph the coral reef.
- The explosion damaged several underwater cables.
- The scientists built an underwater research station on the ocean floor.
- He works as an underwater welder on offshore oil rigs.
学习者例句
- The children saw many fish in the underwater tunnel at the aquarium.
- We watched an underwater movie about sharks.
- There is a small underwater bridge at the bottom of the lake.
- She wants to try underwater photography on her next trip.
- The team found an underwater ship near the coast.
adverb
A2
relation
2
Below the surface of water
Under the surface of the water.
用法模式：
to [verb] underwater
常见错误：
Learners sometimes confuse *"underwater"* (adverb) with *"under the water"*. Both can be correct, but *"swim underwater"* is more natural than *"swim under the water"* in general statements.
近义词
below the surface (General phrase; not limited to water but often used with it.)
反义词
above water (Describes being out of or not covered by water.)
搭配
swim underwater
|breathe underwater
|see underwater
|walk underwater
|hide underwater
|stay underwater
主题
nature
|sports
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
例句
- She can swim underwater for more than a minute without taking a breath.
- The frog disappeared underwater when it saw us coming.
- We practiced talking with simple hand signals so we could communicate underwater.
- The diver slowly moved underwater along the rocky wall.
- Tiny bubbles formed and floated up as the metal reacted underwater.
学习者例句
- The boy likes to swim underwater in the pool.
- Fish can live and move underwater all the time.
- He dropped his watch, and it sank underwater.
- They held hands and walked underwater in the shallow sea.
- I opened my eyes underwater and it was blurry.
adjective
technical
C1
state
3
Worth less than the debt owed
Used when you owe more money on something, like a house or car, than it is worth now.
用法模式：
[loan/mortgage/investment] is underwater
常见错误：
Learners often think this meaning is literal and imagine a house or car physically under water. In finance, *underwater* means the debt is higher than the value. It is not about real water. Do not say *"the house is in underwater"*; say *"the house is underwater"* or *"the mortgage is underwater"*.
近义词
upside down (Informal finance slang, especially in American English, with the same basic meaning.)
|
in negative equity (More formal phrase, often used in news and financial reporting.)
反义词
in the black (General financial term meaning profitable or in a positive position, opposite of owing more than something is worth.)
搭配
underwater mortgage
|underwater loan
|underwater investment
|underwater homeowner
|deeply underwater
|slightly underwater
主题
business
|finance
|economics
例句
- Many homeowners found their mortgages underwater after housing prices fell.
- The car loan is underwater, so selling the vehicle will not cover the debt.
- The company is still underwater on that investment, even after the market recovery.
- By 2010, a large percentage of properties in the region were deeply underwater.
- He decided to keep the house because it was underwater and too costly to sell.
学习者例句
- Their house is underwater because the value went down.
- She cannot sell her car easily because the loan is underwater.
- After the crisis, many people were underwater on their homes.
- The bank says my mortgage is underwater now.
- They hope prices will rise so they are not underwater anymore.
adjective
informal
B2
state
4
Extremely busy or overwhelmed
Very busy and stressed because you have too much work or too many things to do.
用法模式：
[someone] is underwater [with something]
常见错误：
Learners may think this is literal and imagine someone under real water. In this informal use, *underwater* is about stress and too much work. Do not say *"I work in underwater"* when you mean *"I am underwater at work"* (very busy). Also, avoid adding *"with work"* twice, e.g., *"I am underwater with work at work"*; simply say *"I am underwater at work"* or *"I am underwater with work"*.
近义词
swamped (Very close in meaning, informal, often used only for having too much to do.)
|
overwhelmed (Slightly more formal and can refer to strong emotions as well as too much work.)
反义词
on top of things (Means being in control of your tasks and not behind or overwhelmed.)
搭配
underwater at work
|completely underwater
|still underwater
|feel underwater
|underwater with emails
|underwater with deadlines
主题
work
|emotions
|daily life
例句
- I’m totally underwater at work this week and can’t take on any new projects.
- She’s been underwater with deadlines since the new manager arrived.
- We’re all a bit underwater after the product launch.
- He looked underwater and exhausted after a week of late nights at the office.
- Sorry I didn’t reply sooner; I’ve been underwater with emails.
学习者例句
- I am underwater at work this month.
- She is underwater with school and her job.
- He feels underwater because he has so many emails.
- We are underwater right now, so we cannot start a new project.
- They were underwater all week before the big meeting.
语法
词典原形
underwater
IPA
GB/ˈʌndɚwˌɔtɚ/
US/ˈʌndɚwˌɔtɚ/
音节与重音
un - der - wa - ter （4 个音节）
Stress on 1st syllable (un)
词形变化
Adjective
- Base: underwater
词族
Core family
water
noun A1
Related words
watery
adjective B1
waterproof
adjective B1
Negative and opposite forms
waterless
adjective
Advanced or less common
undersea
adjective B2
相关表达
be underwater at work
1/bˈi ˈʌndɚwˌɔtɚ ˈæt wˈɚk/
idiom
informal
Be extremely busy at work
To be very busy and stressed at your job because you have too much work and not enough time.
例句
- I’ve been underwater at work lately, so I haven’t had time to call you.
- She’s underwater at work this quarter and is doing a lot of overtime.
- We’re all underwater at work until the big project is finished.
be underwater on something
1/bˈi ˈʌndɚwˌɔtɚ ˈɔn sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
Owe more than something is worth
To owe more money on something, like a house, car, or loan, than that thing is worth now.
例句
- They’re still underwater on their mortgage, so selling the house would mean a loss.
- After prices fell, many car owners found that they were underwater on their loans.
- The company is underwater on that project and may never recover its costs.
underwater basket weaving
1/ˈʌndɚwˌɔtɚ bˈæskət wˈivɪŋ/
idiom
informal
Joke for a useless course
A humorous way to talk about a college class or subject that seems very easy or not useful.
例句
- He joked that he was majoring in underwater basket weaving.
- The course was so simple that students called it underwater basket weaving.
- They laugh that her degree is in underwater basket weaving, but she actually worked very hard.
underwater mortgage
1/ˈʌndɚwˌɔtɚ mˈɔɹɡɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
technical
Mortgage bigger than home value
A home loan where you owe more money than the house is worth now.
例句
- The government offered help to homeowners with underwater mortgages after the crisis.
- They are stuck with an underwater mortgage and cannot afford to move.
- Falling prices left thousands of families dealing with underwater mortgages.