attune

[ uh-toon, uh-tyoon ]
See synonyms for attune on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),at·tuned, at·tun·ing.
  1. to bring into accord, harmony, or sympathetic relationship; adjust: He has attuned himself to living in the quiet country.

  2. Archaic. to tune or bring into harmony, as a musical instrument.

Origin of attune

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; at- + tune

Other words from attune

  • pre·at·tune, verb (used with object), pre·at·tuned, pre·at·tun·ing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use attune in a sentence

  • There is deep sadness and melancholy in the music that attunes itself to her own sorrowful reflections.

    The Haunted Chamber | "The Duchess"
  • For years he had lived more or less in the open, which attunes the human ear to sounds that generally pass unnoticed.

    The Pagan Madonna | Harold MacGrath
  • Love draws one to the very heart of God; and love attunes one to all the highest and most valued relationships in our human life.

  • He nearly always attunes his harp to the old subject, so as to become hopelessly monotonous.

    History of English Humour, Vol. 1 (of 2) | Alfred Guy Kingan L'Estrange
  • Silence sounds rhythmic to all, and attunes all minds to the strange message, the rhapsody of the universe.

    Wild Life on the Rockies | Enos A. Mills

British Dictionary definitions for attune

attune

/ (əˈtjuːn) /


verb(tr)
  1. to adjust or accustom (a person or thing); acclimatize

  2. to tune (a musical instrument)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012