tony
adjective
high-toned; stylish.
tony
1 American
[toh-nee]
/ ˈtoʊ ni /
adjective
Informal.
tonier,
toniest
Tony
2
American
[toh-nee]
/ ˈtoʊ ni /
noun
-
Tonys
plural
Tony
3
American
[toh-nee]
/ ˈtoʊ ni /
Tony
1
British
/ ˈtəʊnɪ /
noun
tony
2
British
/ ˈtəʊnɪ /
adjective
Usage
What is a Tony? A Tony is an annual award given by the American Theatre Wing (ATW) for excellence in theater production. The Tony award is a black statuette featuring a suspended medallion with the image of the comedy and tragedy mask and the winner’s name, category, and winning year engraved on it. The awards are given out at the Tony Awards ceremony, also known as the Tonys. The Tonys are a televised ceremonial event that features celebrity hosts, musical performances, and Broadway announcements. Typically, the event is seen as one of the most important nights in the theater industry because it gathers many of its most talented performers, directors, and production crews.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tony1
An Americanism dating back to 1875–80; tone + -y 1
Origin of Tony2
After the nickname of Antoinette Perry
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But Thomas and Erika are no fools, coolly telling off smiling Hitler sympathizers during a tony reception.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
With his elevated speech, tony air and throwback attire, he’s like someone from another era; you could see him as one of Jay Gatsby’s pals or a bon vivant who drops by on “Downton Abbey.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The former home of the 36-year-old actress’s family is located in the tony community of Palisades, N.Y., where Panettiere was raised alongside her brother, Jansen, who died at the age of 28 in early 2023.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
MIAMI—Miami-Dade County’s mayor is pursuing the nuclear option in a battle over a marine terminal on tony Fisher Island that supplies fuel for cruise and cargo ships at PortMiami.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Nothing was brokn broken except for tony isnt happy and silly all the time like he used to be.
From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
"Jury selection will begin June 21, 2028," Judge Tony Graf told the Utah district court, noting that 105 days have been reserved for the trial.
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026
Former director general of the UK Border Force Tony Smith said it was "clear that the human smugglers operating in Europe continue to try new routes to bring illegal entrants to the UK".
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Turn the whole internet off and on again: If you’ve heard rumblings about the cybersecurity vulnerability threatening the web but don’t know what’s going on, senior tech editor Tony Ho Tran is here to explain.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026
How Tony Xu led DoorDash to delivery dominance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
Tony said, turning his claws into a fin.
From "I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919" by Lauren Tarshis
“I was in New York for the Tonys, and some of the people in ‘Jellicle Ball,’ ... had competed on ‘Dance Crew.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The broadcast airs air live beginning at 5 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+, but don’t sleep on the annual pre-show, “The Tony Awards: Act One,” where the first round of Tonys will be presented.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Or who will spontaneously plan a vacation after seeing something on the Tonys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
When “My Fair Lady” with Lauren Ambrose was at Lincoln Center in 2018, the Tonys prompted me to attend what turned out to be one of the great theater experiences of my life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Now the Tims and the Tonys can't afford to pay much, but they can afford something, and I think they ought to pay.
From A Crooked Mile by Oliver [pseud.] Onions
In 2019, Montoya realized he could earn more through Uber: up to $1,800 a week driving in Los Angeles’s tonier neighborhoods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026
Mann, in conversation with Nolan, said he had lived in L.A. for years but until “Heat” had rarely explored outside its tonier quarters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
Rodgers’s appearance at the Tonys seemed, to me, like a new resident acclimating to a new residence, getting cozy with its — forgive me — tonier perks.
From New York Times ● Jul. 24, 2023
Because of the lower property values, even the tonier areas of St. Bernard got less of their damages covered.
From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2022
And unlike in tonier waterfront areas, many residents may not have the resources to rebuild after the sort of flooding that Ian could bring.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 28, 2022
The borough of Westminster, home to some of London’s toniest neighborhoods, said in a 2023 report that it sought to collect payment on 13,423 tickets issued to United Arab Emirates vehicles between 2018 and 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
The State Farm move affects some of the county’s toniest neighborhoods — adding another layer of expense and financial risk for homeowners in areas that were already costly and imperiled by wildfires.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2024
MIAMI—For nearly 2 years, bustling teams of archaeologists—totaling more than 120 researchers on some days—have excavated a sprawling waterfront lot here in one of this seaside city’s toniest neighborhoods.
From Science Magazine ● Apr. 10, 2023
He has described how his parents saved to send him to Winchester College, one of Britain’s toniest and most expensive boarding schools.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 24, 2022
But how you goin' to tell, in these times when our toniest fatwads is sittin' around the mahogany votin' to raise the price of chewin' gum to-day, and gettin' a free haircut to-morrow?
From Torchy by George Brehm
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