tone
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.
to take on a particular tone; assume color or tint.
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.
Origin of tone
1synonym study For tone
Other words for tone
Other words from tone
- toneless, adjective
- tone·less·ly, adverb
- tone·less·ness, noun
- mul·ti·toned, adjective
- non·toned, adjective
- un·toned, adjective
- well-toned, adjective
Other definitions for Tone (2 of 2)
(Theobald) Wolfe, 1763–98, Irish nationalist and martyr for independence.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use tone in a sentence
Okay, I’ll disable all alerts except for work or emergencies, and use custom tones where possible.
Carolyn Hax: Cellphones push his buttons, and he pushes back | Carolyn Hax | November 20, 2020 | Washington Post“Utopia Avenue,” by David MitchellMitchell’s groovy rock novel belts out the lives of a fictional band in such vivid tones that you may imagine that you once heard the group play in the late ’60s.
They have confidence in us to move forward together, tactfully and with the right tone.
‘People are gonna shop’: Despite second coronavirus wave, consumer confidence ticks up and brakes on ad spend not slammed yet | Max Willens | November 19, 2020 | DigidayBehind a pressure-heavy defense, Indiana is setting the tone for Big Ten defensive units.
With A Win Over Ohio State, Indiana Would Be In The Big Ten Driver’s Seat. Wait, What? | Josh Planos | November 18, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight“The Crown” and “The Queen” are different in both scope and tone, but nevertheless a singularity is now quite near, which means that something about “The Crown” has fundamentally changed.
The Charles and Diana saga weighs heavy on ‘The Crown,’ but Gillian Anderson’s Thatcher is a triumph | Hank Stuever | November 12, 2020 | Washington Post
But when she opened the door, a harem of toned and dreaded hip-hop dancers were lounging on couches staring at her.
How Aidy Bryant Stealthily Became Your Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star | Kevin Fallon | October 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOne with a toned figure, black suit and dark sunglasses looks more like a US Secret Service agent than a financier.
It was as finely balanced and perfectly toned as Rivers' funeral.
Melissa Rivers: Life After Joan—A Funny, Moving Celebration on a Special 'Fashion Police' | Tim Teeman | September 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThey ranged from yoga teacher-toned to affably soft around the edges.
You believe that your body can make everything good; just one glimpse of your sculpted, toned beauty and—poof!
The old dowager's voice toned down, and she pulled her black feathers straight upon her head.
Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry WoodHe was a mild-mannered man, tall, rather pale, with refined features and a low-toned pleasant voice.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph TatlowAt the commencement of the period herein spoken of string-toned stops as we know them to-day scarcely existed.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing MillerOf this model are some of the sweetest toned violins to be found, of which the Amatis are the type.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph PearceIts use, in place of the hard and empty-toned Diapasons to which we had perforce become accustomed, is rapidly growing.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing Miller
British Dictionary definitions for tone (1 of 2)
/ (təʊn) /
sound with reference to quality, pitch, or volume
short for tone colour
US and Canadian another word for note (def. 10)
(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
(intr often foll by with) 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
Origin of tone
1British Dictionary definitions for Tone (2 of 2)
/ (təʊn) /
(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
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
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