undergo

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”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌʌndɚˈɡoʊ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊ
• Hyphenation: un‧der‧go

undergo (third-person singular simple present undergoes, present participle undergoing, simple past underwent, past participle undergone)

1. (transitive) To experience; to pass through a phase.

   Synonyms: go through, take, undercome, run, see, stand

   The project is undergoing great changes.

   • 2013 January 1, Paul Bartel, Ashli Moore, “Avian Migration: The Ultimate Red-Eye Flight”, in American Scientist‎^[1], volume 101, number 1, archived from the original on 5 March 2016, pages 47–48:

     Many of these classic methods are still used, with some modern improvements. For example, with the aid of special microphones and automated sound detection software, ornithologists recently reported […] that pine siskins (Spinus pinus) undergo an irregular, nomadic type of nocturnal migration.

   • 2021 November 19, Madeline Holcombe, “Is your mom warmer with her grandkids than with you? A new study says blame biology”, in CNN‎^[2]:

     The women underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures changes in blood flow that happen with brain activity, while being shown images of their grandchild, another child they didn’t know, an adult they didn’t know, and the same-sex parent of their grandchild.

2. (transitive) To suffer or endure; bear with.

   Synonyms: brook, put up with; see also Thesaurus:tolerate

   The victim underwent great trauma.

   She had to undergo surgery because of her broken leg.

3. (transitive, obsolete) To go or move under or beneath.

• undergang

• go under, grounde, guerdon, ungored