tone
Definitions
noun
A specific pitch.
(in the diatonic scale) An interval of a major second.
(in a Gregorian chant) A recitational melody.
The character of a sound, especially the timbre of an instrument or voice.
The pitch of a word's sound that distinguishes a difference in meaning, as for example in Chinese.
verb
to give a particular tone to
to change the colour of
to make (something) firmer
to utter with an affected tone.
pron
the one (of two)
Collocations
46(noun.) quality of a sound, especially of the human voice
ADJ
deep, low
falling, rising
He spoke with a falling tone as he admitted his mistake to the teacher.
hushed, quiet, subdued
The doctor explained the diagnosis in a quiet tone so as not to alarm the patient.
clear, ringing
sharp, shrill, stentorian, strident
gravelly
dry, even, expressionless, flat, level, measured, neutral
She answered all his questions in a measured tone, carefully choosing each word.
normal, reasonable
brisk, businesslike, matter-of-fact
The manager spoke in a businesslike tone during the meeting about the budget cuts.
commanding, firm, forthright
formal
sepulchral, solemn
dramatic, urgent
casual, offhand
bright, conversational
gentle, mild, pleasant, soft, sympathetic, warm
The teacher spoke in a warm tone that made the nervous students feel more comfortable.
dulcet, honeyed
She spoke to the angry customer in honeyed tones, trying to calm the situation down.
clipped, cool, curt, frigid, hard, harsh, icy
The teacher's harsh tone made it clear she was disappointed with the class's behavior.
aggressive, biting, contemptuous, disapproving, dismissive, ironic, mocking, patronizing, sarcastic, sardonic, scathing, threatening
She spoke in a dismissive tone, making it clear she wasn't interested in his explanation.
aggrieved, reproachful, shocked
bantering, conciliatory, conspiratorial, reverential, wheedling
VERB + TONE
adopt, speak in, take
The teacher spoke in a calm tone to help the anxious students feel more relaxed.
soften
change
interpret
When he spoke sarcastically, I found it difficult to interpret his tone correctly.
TONE + VERB
change
When she realized it was a joke, her tone changed from angry to amused.
convey sth, imply sth, indicate sth, suggest sth
betray sb/sth, give away sb/sth
His angry tone gave away how disappointed he felt about the decision.
PREP
in a/the ~
The teacher explained the difficult math problem in a patient tone so all the students could understand.
in ~s of
She spoke in tones of concern about the safety issues at the new factory.
PHRASES
a tone of voice
She spoke in a gentle tone of voice that made the children feel safe and comfortable.
(noun.) general quality/style of sb/sth
ADJ
dominant, general, overall, prevailing
The overall tone of their conversation seemed friendly despite the disagreement.
moral, political, social
The principal's speech set a positive moral tone for the entire school year.
favourable
negative
comic, humorous
VERB + TONE
set
The manager's calm response to the crisis set the tone for how the whole team would handle it.
PREP
in ~
She spoke in a tone that made everyone in the room immediately fall silent.
(noun.) shade of a colour
ADJ
light, muted, neutral, pale, pastel, soft
The designer chose soft tones for the bedroom to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere.
dark, deep
rich, warm
earthy, flesh, grey, natural, silvery
colour
skin
Her light skin tone made her freckles stand out even more in the summer.
(noun.) on the telephone
ADJ
dial/dialling, engaged
VERB + TONE
get
When I called the hotel, I got a busy tone and had to try again later.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
noun — a musical interval of two semitones
noun — a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical
noun — the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effec
noun — the elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that f
- tonicity
- tonus
verb — give a healthy elasticity to
Antonyms
- atonicity
- atony
- atonia
- amyotonia
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
6Children often read with a tone.
WiktionaryTheir tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing.
Wiktionaryc. 1714 (undated), Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, letter to Alexander Pope The strange situation I am in and the melancholy state of public affairs, […] drag the mind down […] from a philoso
WiktionaryHis stern tone and loud voice belied his inner sensitivity and caring nature.
Tatoeba · #1999There was a sudden change in her tone.
Tatoeba · #19618The article's tone was one of pessimism.
Tatoeba · #20207