any sound considered with reference to its quality, pitch, strength, source, etc..
shrill tones.
quality or character of sound.
vocal sound; the sound made by vibrating muscular bands in the larynx.
a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc..
a tone of command.
an accent peculiar to a person, people, locality, etc., or a characteristic mode of sounding words in speech.
stress of voice on a syllable of a word.
Linguistics. a musical pitch or movement in pitch serving to distinguish two words otherwise composed of the same sounds, as in Chinese.
Music.
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.
an interval equivalent to two semitones; a whole tone; a whole step.
any of the nine melodies or tunes to which Gregorian plainsong psalms are sung.
a quality of color with reference to the degree of absorption or reflection of light; a tint or shade; value.
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.
Art. the prevailing effect of harmony of color and values.
Physiology.
the normal state of tension or responsiveness of the organs or tissues of the body.
that state of the body or of an organ in which all its functions are performed with healthy vigor.
normal sensitivity to stimulation.
a normal healthy mental condition.
a particular mental state or disposition; spirit, character, or tenor.
a particular style or manner, as of writing or speech; mood.
the macabre tone of Poe's stories.
prevailing character or style, as of manners, morals, or philosophical outlook.
the liberal tone of the 1960s.
style, distinction, or elegance.
to sound with a particular tone.
to give the proper tone to (a musical instrument).
to modify the tone or general coloring of.
to give the desired tone to (a painting, drawing, etc.).
Photography. to change the color of (a print), especially by chemical means.
to render as specified in tone or coloring.
to modify the tone or character of.
to give or restore physical or mental tone to.
tone down
to become or cause to become softened or moderated.
The newspaper toned down its attack.
Painting. to make (a color) less intense in hue; subdue.
tone up
to give a higher or stronger tone to.
to gain or cause to gain in tone or strength.
toning up little-used muscles.
tone (in) with to harmonize in tone or coloring; blend.
The painting tones with the room.
sound with reference to quality, pitch, or volume
short for tone colour
another word for note
(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 )
an interval of a major second; whole tone
Also called: Gregorian tone. any of several plainsong melodies or other chants used in the singing of psalms
linguistics any of the pitch levels or pitch contours at which a syllable may be pronounced, such as high tone, falling tone, etc
the quality or character of a sound
a nervous tone of voice
general aspect, quality, or style
I didn't like the tone of his speech
high quality or style
to lower the tone of a place
the quality of a given colour, as modified by mixture with white or black; shade; tint
a tone of red
physiol
the normal tension of a muscle at rest
the natural firmness of the tissues and normal functioning of bodily organs in health
the overall effect of the colour values and gradations of light and dark in a picture
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
to be of a matching or similar tone (to)
the curtains tone with the carpet
(tr) to give a tone to or correct the tone of
photog (tr) to soften or change the colour of the tones of (a photographic image) by chemical means
(tr) to give greater firmness or strength to (the body or a part of the body)
an archaic word for intone
See sound 1.
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”
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Everybody knew Tone was a step above the rest of us, but he never acted that way.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 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 movement reinforces our culture that's already there, including the 2 Tone era, and allows people to look back and feel represented.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 2024
“Without air conditioning, it would be challenging to concentrate on studying,” Lin Yujun, the father of a junior high school student in Guangdong in southern China, told Shanghai-based news site Sixth Tone.
From BBC • Sep. 10, 2024
Tone deaf as I may be, I sing as loud as anybody.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
