intone

American  

[in-tohn] / ɪnˈtoʊn /

verb (used with object)

• intones,
  present (3rd person singular)
• intoned,
  past participle,  past
• intoning
  present participle

1. to utter with a particular tone or voice modulation.

2. to give tone or variety of tone to; vocalize.

3. to utter in a singing voice (the first tones of a section in a liturgical service).

4. to recite or chant in monotone.

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verb (used without object)

• intones,
  present (3rd person singular)
• intoned,
  past participle,  past
• intoning
  present participle

1. to speak or recite in a singing voice, especially in monotone; chant.

2. Music. to produce a tone, or a particular series of tones, like a scale, especially with the voice.

intone British  

/ ɪnˈtəʊn /

verb

1. to utter, recite, or sing (a chant, prayer, etc) in a monotonous or incantatory tone

2. (intr) to speak with a particular or characteristic intonation or tone

3. to sing (the opening phrase of a psalm, etc) in plainsong

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intoner
  noun
• half-intoned
  adjective
• unintoned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• intoning
  present
• intoned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• intone
  simple
• intones
  simple
• have intoned
  perfect
• has intoned
  perfect
• am intoning
  progressive
• are intoning
  progressive
• is intoning
  progressive
• have been intoning
  perfect progressive
• has been intoning
  perfect progressive

Past

• intoned
  simple
• had intoned
  perfect
• was intoning
  progressive
• were intoning
  progressive
• had been intoning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will intone
  simple
• will have intoned
  perfect
• will be intoning
  progressive
• will have been intoning
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of intone

1475–85; < Medieval Latin intonāre; replacing earlier entone < Middle French entoner < Medieval Latin; see in- ², tone

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Explanation

To intone is to to chant in a flat voice. When you recite a poem you had to memorize in English class, you're likely to intone the lines without much expression. You might intone bad news over the phone, bluntly and unemotionally, and librarians often intone a low command to keep the noise down in the library. People reciting prayers usually intone them as well. In the fourteenth century, the word was entunen, "sing, chant or recite," from a Latin root, intonare, "sing according to tone."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

intone intones intoned intoning

Those are the first words of the military Oath of Enlistment—the words that new members of the military, with right hands raised, intone as they join the service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026

Separated from their calves to produce milk, they intone musical verses about their motherly desperation.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2023

Akbar ceased performing the obligatory five prayers that Muslims must intone every day and began to worship “divine light.”

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

When religious schools compete, he has listened as coaches intone team prayers before and after a game.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 26, 2022

See how smart she was, she seems to intone as she compares the picture to my father.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

"Holiday let, second home, second home, holiday let, second home, holiday let," she intones.

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026

Nevertheless: “Once more you drown one of your own in the inky depths of democracy,” Cumming intones after Funches poignantly exits.

From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2026

A singer intones a haunting melody—“It’s been a long time and still we are not free.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

For whatever reason, the usually vibrant Margot Robbie intones her lines like she, too, is trapped in a school play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025

"It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks," intones the mayor.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

"It's going to be he and I going to November," Bianco intoned at a recent televised debate, nodding towards Hilton.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

When asked about immigration, she consistently intoned: “Our immigration system is broken.”

From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2025

“We need to change the conversation, because so many people see things on television that aren’t necessarily true,” he intoned gravely.

From Slate ● Mar. 3, 2025

He was joined on stage by the song's producer, Mustard, who clutched a football while sporting the world's baggiest jeans - before Lamar pointed an imaginary remote control at the camera and intoned, "Game Over".

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2025

“There is curse on the wolf babies, and on their kin,” she intoned.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

It was an unusual mission for Avraamiy, whose days are usually filled with intoning prayers, counseling his flock and leading the clergymen from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine at the monastery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

If You're Glad I'll Be Frank imagined the speaking clock as a real woman speaking live, her internal monologue utterly at odds with the deadening repetitiveness of endlessly intoning "at the third stroke..."

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025

“Bastards” features Kristofferson’s voice at the end, intoning the line, and is the reason for his co-writing credit, given with permission from his widow.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2025

He invokes family and faith, joined by Michael Stipe from R.E.M. intoning, “Oh me, oh my”; it’s thick with atmosphere and memory, offering no conclusions.

From New York Times ● Jan. 13, 2023

Books were now for reading and understanding, not intoning.

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author

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Related Words

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