[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/undergo/)

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# undergo

verb (undergo, undergoes, underwent, undergone, undergoing)

«undergo» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

(formal) To undergo something is to go through or experience it, especially something unpleasant or difficult, such as an operation, a test or a change. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undergo/#m1)

### In the lessons

Formal and exam word: a patient undergoes surgery, a caterpillar undergoes a change into a butterfly, a material undergoes heating. In science, substances undergo physical or chemical changes. Plain words: go through, have.

### Examples

- Grandad will undergo an operation on his knee. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undergo/#x1)
- A caterpillar undergoes a big change to become a butterfly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undergo/#x2)
- The new car underwent many safety tests. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undergo/#x3)
- Water undergoes a change of state when it freezes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undergo/#x4)
- The town has undergone a lot of changes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undergo/#x5)
- All players must undergo a medical check. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undergo/#x6)
- They threw themselves at her feet to beg pardon for all the ill-treatment they had made her undergo. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undergo/#x7)

### Note

Irregular like «go»: undergo, undergoes, underwent, undergone. Formal: in speech say «go through» or «have». Not the same as «undertake» (to start or agree to do a task).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «undergo» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undergo/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«undergo» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/undergo.html) on Mova free.