undergo

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˌʌndɚˈɡoʊ/ UK /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ/ See IPA manual

Freq #15145

Meanings

1

verb
To go through or experience something, especially a change or process.

The city has undergone great changes in recent years.
2

verb
To suffer or endure something difficult or unpleasant.

The patient underwent months of painful treatment.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to go through or experience... go throughexperience

2 verb · to suffer or endure... endure bear

Word family

Forms undergoesundergoingundergoneunderwent

Related forms undergang

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

undergo a change
experience or go through a significant transformation

Verb + noun

Etymology

From Middle English undergon, from Old English undergān (“to undergo, undermine, ruin”), equivalent to under- + go. Cognate with Dutch ondergaan (“to undergo, perish, sink”), German untergehen (“to perish, sink, undergo”), Swedish undergå (“to undergo, go through”).

undergon Middle English undergān Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# undergo

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˌʌndɚˈɡoʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 15145

## Meanings
1. To go through or experience something, especially a change or process.
2. To suffer or endure something difficult or unpleasant.

## Examples
- The city has undergone great changes in recent years.
- The patient underwent months of painful treatment.

## Related Forms
- undergang

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: undergon
- Root: undergān
- Affix: under- - below

## Etymology
From Middle English undergon, from Old English undergān (“to undergo, undermine, ruin”), equivalent to under- + go. Cognate with Dutch ondergaan (“to undergo, perish, sink”), German untergehen (“to perish, sink, undergo”), Swedish undergå (“to undergo, go through”).

## AI Etymology
Undergo is from Middle English undergon, from Old English undergān (“to undergo, undermine, ruin”), equivalent to under- + go. Cognate with Dutch ondergaan (“to undergo, perish, sink”), German untergehen (“to perish, sink, undergo”), Swedish undergå (“to undergo, go through”). In present-day use, it can mean to go through or experience something, especially a change or process, or to suffer or endure something difficult or unpleasant.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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