undergo

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 →

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 →
• A caterpillar undergoes a big change to become a butterfly. tree →
• The new car underwent many safety tests. tree →
• Water undergoes a change of state when it freezes. tree →
• The town has undergone a lot of changes. tree →
• All players must undergo a medical check. tree →
• They threw themselves at her feet to beg pardon for all the ill-treatment they had made her undergo. tree →

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).