What does "undertake" mean?
The passing of slower traffic on the curbside rather than on the side closest to oncoming traffic.
Undertake
/ˌʌndəˈteɪk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The passing of slower traffic on the curbside rather than on the side closest to oncoming traffic.
- Grammar: undertake is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: accept, accept, accept obligation, accept responsibility.
- Useful contrasts: balks, disinclining, flinch.
- Usage evidence: Whatever we may undertake, diligence is important.
How to use "undertake"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "undertake" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "undertake" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "undertake" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "undertake" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "undertake" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accept" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "undertake", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The passing of slower traffic on the curbside rather than on the side closest to oncoming traffic. British, informal
Verb
- 1 To take upon oneself; to start, to embark on (a specific task etc.). transitive
"This said, he sat; and expectation held His look suspense, awaiting who appeared To second, or oppose, or undertake The perilous attempt."
- 2 enter into a contractual arrangement wordnet
- 3 To commit oneself (to an obligation, activity etc.). intransitive
"He undertook to exercise more in future."
- 4 promise to do or accomplish wordnet
- 5 To pass a slower moving vehicle on the curbside rather than on the side closest to oncoming traffic. British, informal
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 enter upon an activity or enterprise wordnet
- 7 To pledge; to assert, assure; to dare say. archaic, intransitive
"That is her ransom; I deliver her; And those two counties I will undertake Your grace shall well and quietly enjoy."
- 8 accept as a charge wordnet
- 9 To take by trickery; to trap, to seize upon. obsolete, transitive
- 10 accept as a challenge wordnet
- 11 To assume, as a character; to take on. obsolete
"Quince. […] you must needs play Pyramus. Bottom. Well, I will undertake it."
- 12 To engage with; to attack, take on in a fight. obsolete
"It is not fit your lordship should undertake every companion that you give offence to."
- 13 To have knowledge of; to hear. obsolete
"Ne he his mouth would open unto wight, Untill that Guyon selfe unto him spake, And called Brigadore, (so was he hight,) Whose voice so soone as he did undertake, Eftsoones he stood as still as any stake,"
- 14 To have or take charge of. obsolete
"To the water side I must conduct your grace; Then give my charge up to Sir Nicholas Vaux, Who undertakes you to your end."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Whatever we may undertake, diligence is important."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "undertake"?
Common synonyms include: accept, accept, accept obligation, accept responsibility, act, adventures.
How do you use "undertake" in a sentence?
Whatever we may undertake, diligence is important.
How do you pronounce "undertake"?
Pronounced /ˌʌndəˈteɪk/.
Etymology
From Middle English undertaken; equivalent to under- + take (after undernim).