Meanings
plural underpasses
- A passage, especially for pedestrians, that crosses underneath a road, railroad or obstacle.
Underpass / Underpass / Over all the bridges / Echoes in rows / Talking at the same time / Click click drone
1980, “Underpass”, in Metamatic, performed by John Foxx1 more example
And in the darkened underpass / I thought oh God, my chance has come at last / But then a strange fear gripped me and I just couldn't ask
1986, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”, in The Queen Is Dead, performed by The Smiths
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA passage, especially for pedestrians, that crosses underneath a road, railroad or obstacle.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan underground tunnel or passage enabling pedestrians to cross a road or railway
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁entér
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂én
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰí
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér
- Proto-Germanic*under
- Proto-West Germanic*undar
- Old Englishunder-
- Middle Englishunder-
- Englishunder-
- Proto-Indo-European*peth₂-
- Proto-Italic*pattus
- Latinpassus
- Vulgar Latin*passāre
- Old Frenchpasser
- Middle Englishpassen
- Englishpass
- Englishunderpass
Translations
Arabic نَفَق مُشَاة
- نَفَق مُشَاة (nafaq mušāh)passage
Bulgarian по́длез
- по́длез (pódlez)passage
Chinese Mandarin 地下通道, 地下道
- 地下通道 (dìxià tōngdào)passage
- 地下道 (dìxiàdào)passage
Czech podchod
- podchodpassage
Estonian jalakäijate tunnel
- jalakäijate tunnelpassage
Finnish alikulkutunneli, alikäytävä
- alikulkutunnelipassage
- alikäytäväpassage
- alikulkupassage
French passage souterrain, souterrain
- passage souterrainpassage
- souterrainpassage
German Unterführung
- Unterführungpassage
Hungarian aluljáró
- aluljárópassage
Indonesian lintas bawah
- lintas bawahpassage
Italian sottopassaggio
- sottopassaggiopassage
Japanese 地下道
- 地下道 (chikadō)passage
Korean 토끼굴, 지하도
- 토끼굴 (tokkigul)passage
- 지하도 (jihado)passage
Malay jabanah
- jabanahpassage
Polish przejście podziemne
- przejście podziemnepassage
Portuguese passagem subterrânea
- passagem subterrâneapassage
Russian подзе́мный перехо́д, подзе́мный ход
- подзе́мный перехо́д (podzémnyj perexód)passage
- подзе́мный ход (podzémnyj xod)passage
Scottish Gaelic fo-rathad, fo-shlighe
- fo-rathadpassage
- fo-shlighepassage
Slovak podchod
- podchodpassage
Spanish paso inferior
- paso inferiorpassage
Swedish undergång, vägport
- undergångpassage
- vägportpassage
Tagalog daan-silong
- daan-silongpassage
Ukrainian підзе́мний перехі́д
- підзе́мний перехі́д (pidzémnyj perexíd)passage
Cite this entry
underpass. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underpass
“underpass.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underpass. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underpass,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underpass.
Source: underpass on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.