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• tone
  tone

  noun

  any sound considered with reference to its quality, pitch, strength, source, etc..
• Tone
  Tone

  noun

  (Theobald) Wolfe, 1763–98, Irish nationalist and martyr for independence.

tone

¹ American  

[tohn] / toʊn /

noun

• tones
  plural

1. any sound considered with reference to its quality, pitch, strength, source, etc..

   shrill tones.

2. quality or character of sound.

3. vocal sound; the sound made by vibrating muscular bands in the larynx.

4. a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc..

   a tone of command.

5. an accent peculiar to a person, people, locality, etc., or a characteristic mode of sounding words in speech.

6. stress of voice on a syllable of a word.

7. Linguistics. a musical pitch or movement in pitch serving to distinguish two words otherwise composed of the same sounds, as in Chinese.

8. Music.

   1. a musical sound of definite pitch, consisting of several relatively simple constituents called partial tones, the lowest of which is called the fundamental tone and the others harmonics or overtones.

   2. an interval equivalent to two semitones; a whole tone; a whole step.

   3. any of the nine melodies or tunes to which Gregorian plainsong psalms are sung.

9. a quality of color with reference to the degree of absorption or reflection of light; a tint or shade; value.

10. that distinctive quality by which colors differ from one another in addition to their differences indicated by chroma, tint, shade; a slight modification of a given color; hue.

    green with a yellowish tone.

11. Art. the prevailing effect of harmony of color and values.

12. Physiology.

    1. the normal state of tension or responsiveness of the organs or tissues of the body.

    2. that state of the body or of an organ in which all its functions are performed with healthy vigor.

    3. normal sensitivity to stimulation.

13. a normal healthy mental condition.

14. a particular mental state or disposition; spirit, character, or tenor.

15. a particular style or manner, as of writing or speech; mood.

    the macabre tone of Poe's stories.

    Synonyms:

    temper, quality, spirit

16. prevailing character or style, as of manners, morals, or philosophical outlook.

    the liberal tone of the 1960s.

17. style, distinction, or elegance.

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verb (used with object)

• tones,
  present (3rd person singular)
• toned,
  past participle,  past
• toning
  present participle

1. to sound with a particular tone.

2. to give the proper tone to (a musical instrument).

3. to modify the tone or general coloring of.

4. to give the desired tone to (a painting, drawing, etc.).

5. Photography. to change the color of (a print), especially by chemical means.

6. to render as specified in tone or coloring.

7. to modify the tone or character of.

8. to give or restore physical or mental tone to.

verb (used without object)

• tones,
  present (3rd person singular)
• toned,
  past participle,  past
• toning
  present participle

1. to take on a particular tone; assume color or tint.

verb phrase

1. tone down

   1. to become or cause to become softened or moderated.

      The newspaper toned down its attack.

   2. Painting. to make (a color) less intense in hue; subdue.

2. tone up

   1. to give a higher or stronger tone to.

   2. to gain or cause to gain in tone or strength.

      toning up little-used muscles.

3. tone (in) with to harmonize in tone or coloring; blend.

   The painting tones with the room.

Tone ² American  

[tohn] / toʊn /

noun

1. (Theobald) Wolfe, 1763–98, Irish nationalist and martyr for independence.

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tone ¹ British  

/ təʊn /

noun

1. sound with reference to quality, pitch, or volume

2. short for tone colour

3. another word for note

4. (in acoustic analysis) a sound resulting from periodic or regular vibrations, composed either of a simple sinusoidal waveform ( pure tone ) or of several such waveforms superimposed upon one main one ( compound tone )

5. an interval of a major second; whole tone

6. Also called: Gregorian tone.  any of several plainsong melodies or other chants used in the singing of psalms

7. linguistics any of the pitch levels or pitch contours at which a syllable may be pronounced, such as high tone, falling tone, etc

8. the quality or character of a sound

   a nervous tone of voice

9. general aspect, quality, or style

   I didn't like the tone of his speech

10. high quality or style

    to lower the tone of a place

11. the quality of a given colour, as modified by mixture with white or black; shade; tint

    a tone of red

12. physiol

    1. the normal tension of a muscle at rest

    2. the natural firmness of the tissues and normal functioning of bodily organs in health

13. the overall effect of the colour values and gradations of light and dark in a picture

14. photog a colour or shade of colour, including black or grey, of a particular area on a negative or positive that can be distinguished from surrounding lighter or darker areas

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verb

1. to be of a matching or similar tone (to)

   the curtains tone with the carpet

2. (tr) to give a tone to or correct the tone of

3. photog (tr) to soften or change the colour of the tones of (a photographic image) by chemical means

4. (tr) to give greater firmness or strength to (the body or a part of the body)

5. an archaic word for intone

Tone ² British  

/ təʊn /

noun

1. ( Theobald ) Wolfe. 1763–98, Irish nationalist, who founded (1791) the Society of United Irishmen and led (1798) French military forces to Ireland. He was captured and sentenced to death but committed suicide

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Synonym Usage

See sound ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tonelessness
  noun
• multitoned
  adjective
• nontoned
  adjective
• toneless
  adjective
• untoned
  adjective
• well-toned
  adjective
• tonelessly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tones
  plural

Participles

• toning
  present
• toned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• tone
  simple
• tones
  simple
• have toned
  perfect
• has toned
  perfect
• am toning
  progressive
• are toning
  progressive
• is toning
  progressive
• have been toning
  perfect progressive
• has been toning
  perfect progressive

Past

• toned
  simple
• had toned
  perfect
• was toning
  progressive
• were toning
  progressive
• had been toning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will tone
  simple
• will have toned
  perfect
• will be toning
  progressive
• will have been toning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of tone

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (noun), from Latin tonus, from Greek tónos “strain, tone, mode,” literally, “a stretching,” akin to teínein “to stretch”

Explanation

A tone is the kind of sound you hear in a musical note, or in a person's voice live or in writing. A newspaper article should be objective, but a poem can bring up all kinds of emotions, depending on the tone. The word tone often refers to sound, as in music, or the feeling conveyed by the way someone speaks: "His tone of voice told me I was in trouble." It can also be used to describe the atmosphere of a place — its flavor or spirit — or the shades of meaning in a work that might reveal the larger intentions of an author. If your body has tone, its muscular structure is strong and appears well defined.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tone Tone tones toned toning

That case was considered a bellwether that could have set the tone for resolving thousands of similar lawsuits across the country.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Also on its front page, the PM has been told to "tone down his 'blokeish' videos", including one that rated pub snacks.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

When Gawat corrected the AI, its tone shifted to urgency, telling him to start taking a vitamin D supplement “immediately,” with a red siren emoji.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Music shapes both the series’ tone and its fashion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

“It’s 1773,” Elliot said, his tone as condescending as it could possibly be.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Tributes have been paid to Ray King, one of the most influential singers in the ska and 2 Tone music genres, following the announcement of his death.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Tone Young: When they went to the beach, I was the ride.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025

“He wants to, you know, further his career so he’s going to back whatever horse is winning the race,” Tone said.

From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2025

The guys in Tony Toni Tone still love playing music together, but core member Raphael Saadiq is ready to explore other outlets before it gets phony, phoni, phone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2025

Tone deaf as I may be, I sing as loud as anybody.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

"Not a single blow is random," he explains as a trio of craftsmen land expert strikes that create the darker more complex tones so prized by jazz drummers.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

The biggest changes are visible across Conwy, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Merseyside, where areas that were previously a patchwork of green fields and grassland are now covered by light brown tones, indicating extensive vegetation stress.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

This can make sunscreen formulas less stable and cause the particles to scatter visible light, producing the white or gray residue that is especially noticeable on darker skin tones.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

It’s tempting to think that if the Swans were shopping in 2026, they’d be longing to once again hear the friendly tones of an L.L.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

We listened and listened, but all we could hear was the droning tones of the noise we had made die away in the thick timber.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

They toned down the Vegas kitsch when redecorating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

In recent years, China has significantly toned down its calls to denuclearise the Korean peninsula and avoided mentioning it publicly.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

While the film adaptation’s political themes are toned down, the original musical focused on the dark atmosphere of the Nazi annexation of Austria and the Von Trapp family’s struggle for freedom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026

He toned down his vitriol because he wanted me to still feel comfortable and welcome to stay.

From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026

Hardy, trim, and darker toned than his wife, in disposition still the affable bartender, Jim Link mans the beer cooler at holiday parties at the Medlock Bridge clubhouse.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Still, a generation of young Chinese raised on expectations of ever-increasing prosperity is quietly protesting by toning down their career ambitions and tuning out government calls to sacrifice for the national good.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026

All three studios incorporate elements of strength training, stretching and toning using bands and weights as well.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2025

AP's rules only allow "minor adjustments" in certain circumstances, including cropping and toning and colour adjustments, as well as the removal of dust on camera sensors.

From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2024

AP’s news values and principles explain that minor photo editing, including cropping and toning and color adjustments, are acceptable when necessary for clear and accurate reproduction and should maintain the authentic nature of the photograph.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2024

With some alternation of terms, some toning down, the passage could describe the building of a termite nest.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• approach
• aspect
• character
• expression
• fashion
• feel
• humor
• manner
• mode
• mood
• nature
• note
• quality
• style
• tenor
• trend