Dictionary

go under en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. To descend into a body of water; to founder.
   • The boat was too heavy and went under.
2. (idiomatic) To collapse or fail, e.g. by going bankrupt.
   • In the crisis, the company was forced to reduce its costs in order to avoid going under.
3. (idiomatic) To die.
   • If we don't get him to a doctor, he'll go under for sure.
   • Good for a fortnight, am I? The doctor told you? He lied. I shall go under by morning, and—— Put that nurse outside. 1896, Rudyard Kipling, The Mary Gloster:
4. (idiomatic) To be named; to call oneself.
   • He goes under the name of Mr X to remain anonymous.
5. To enter a trance, state of hypnosis, etc.
   • "But I went under nicely and I am glad there were some fine materializations." 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
6. (Australia, slang) To be imprisoned.

Forms

Translations (12)

bg назова́вам се (to be call oneself) · fi hypnotisoitua (to enter a state of hypnosis) · bg назова́ се (to be call oneself) · es irse a pique (to descend into a body of water) · fi kutsua itseään (to be call oneself) · bg имену́вам се (to be call oneself) · bg потъ́вам (to descend into a body of water) · bg потъ́на (to descend into a body of water) · de untergehen (to descend into a body of water) · fi upota (to descend into a body of water) · fi mennä hypnoosiin (to enter a state of hypnosis) · es hundirse (to descend into a body of water)