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• tone
  tone

  noun

  any sound considered with reference to its quality, pitch, strength, source, etc..
• Tone
  Tone

  noun

  (Theobald) Wolfe, 1763–98, Irish nationalist and martyr for independence.

tone

¹ American  

[tohn] / toʊn /

noun

• tones
  plural

1. 

   any sound considered with reference to its quality, pitch, strength, source, etc..

   shrill tones.

2. quality or character of sound.

3. vocal sound; the sound made by vibrating muscular bands in the larynx.

4. a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc..

   a tone of command.

5. an accent peculiar to a person, people, locality, etc., or a characteristic mode of sounding words in speech.

6. stress of voice on a syllable of a word.

7. Linguistics. a musical pitch or movement in pitch serving to distinguish two words otherwise composed of the same sounds, as in Chinese.

8. Music.

   1. 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.

   2. an interval equivalent to two semitones; a whole tone; a whole step.

   3. any of the nine melodies or tunes to which Gregorian plainsong psalms are sung.

9. a quality of color with reference to the degree of absorption or reflection of light; a tint or shade; value.

10. 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.

11. Art. the prevailing effect of harmony of color and values.

12. Physiology.

    1. the normal state of tension or responsiveness of the organs or tissues of the body.

    2. that state of the body or of an organ in which all its functions are performed with healthy vigor.

    3. normal sensitivity to stimulation.

13. a normal healthy mental condition.

14. a particular mental state or disposition; spirit, character, or tenor.

15. a particular style or manner, as of writing or speech; mood.

    the macabre tone of Poe's stories.

    Synonyms:

    temper, quality, spirit

16. prevailing character or style, as of manners, morals, or philosophical outlook.

    the liberal tone of the 1960s.

17. style, distinction, or elegance.

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verb (used with object)

• tones,
  present (3rd person singular)
• toned,
  past participle,  past
• toning
  present participle

1. to sound with a particular tone.

2. to give the proper tone to (a musical instrument).

3. to modify the tone or general coloring of.

4. to give the desired tone to (a painting, drawing, etc.).

5. Photography. to change the color of (a print), especially by chemical means.

6. to render as specified in tone or coloring.

7. to modify the tone or character of.

8. to give or restore physical or mental tone to.

verb (used without object)

• tones,
  present (3rd person singular)
• toned,
  past participle,  past
• toning
  present participle

1. to take on a particular tone; assume color or tint.

verb phrase

1. tone down

   1. to become or cause to become softened or moderated.

      The newspaper toned down its attack.

   2. Painting. to make (a color) less intense in hue; subdue.

2. tone up

   1. to give a higher or stronger tone to.

   2. to gain or cause to gain in tone or strength.

      toning up little-used muscles.

3. tone (in) with to harmonize in tone or coloring; blend.

   The painting tones with the room.

Tone ² American  

[tohn] / toʊn /

noun

1. (Theobald) Wolfe, 1763–98, Irish nationalist and martyr for independence.

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tone ¹ British  

/ təʊn /

noun

1. sound with reference to quality, pitch, or volume

2. short for tone colour

3. another word for note

4. (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 )

5. an interval of a major second; whole tone

6. Also called: Gregorian tone. any of several plainsong melodies or other chants used in the singing of psalms

7. linguistics any of the pitch levels or pitch contours at which a syllable may be pronounced, such as high tone, falling tone, etc

8. the quality or character of a sound

   a nervous tone of voice

9. general aspect, quality, or style

   I didn't like the tone of his speech

10. high quality or style

    to lower the tone of a place

11. the quality of a given colour, as modified by mixture with white or black; shade; tint

    a tone of red

12. physiol

    1. the normal tension of a muscle at rest

    2. the natural firmness of the tissues and normal functioning of bodily organs in health

13. the overall effect of the colour values and gradations of light and dark in a picture

14. 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

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verb

1. to be of a matching or similar tone (to)

   the curtains tone with the carpet

2. (tr) to give a tone to or correct the tone of

3. photog (tr) to soften or change the colour of the tones of (a photographic image) by chemical means

4. (tr) to give greater firmness or strength to (the body or a part of the body)

5. an archaic word for intone

Tone ² British  

/ təʊn /

noun

1. ( 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

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Synonym Usage

See sound ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tonelessness
  noun
• multitoned
  adjective
• nontoned
  adjective
• toneless
  adjective
• untoned
  adjective
• well-toned
  adjective
• tonelessly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tones
  plural

Participles

• toning
  present
• toned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• tone
  simple
• tones
  simple
• have toned
  perfect
• has toned
  perfect
• am toning
  progressive
• are toning
  progressive
• is toning
  progressive
• have been toning
  perfect progressive
• has been toning
  perfect progressive

Past

• toned
  simple
• had toned
  perfect
• was toning
  progressive
• were toning
  progressive
• had been toning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will tone
  simple
• will have toned
  perfect
• will be toning
  progressive
• will have been toning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of tone

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”

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tone Tone tones toned toning

But when he cast actors for “Tales” who were too young to remember Nicolae Ceaușescu’s reign, he was surprised that they didn’t see the underlying darkness beneath the film’s satiric tone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Third quarter earnings will be crucial in helping analysts determine if the semiconductor supercycle still has legs but the upbeat tone struck by Su suggests fundamentals are still in favor of the big players.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The elegiac tone of “Who Is Martin Mull?” isn’t entirely inappropriate—the actor, comedian, musician and painter died in 2024 after what was reported to have been a long illness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Just after the opening night’s audience gets their emotional release, a tone fills the theater, with a voice cautioning of a “Level 4 warning.”

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Only when she’s shown us to the kitchen table and placed two teacups in front of us does she speak again, in a flat, businesslike tone of voice.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

The lead singer of ska and 2 Tone group The Selecter, Pauline Black, agrees.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

Tone is just as important as content here.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

"Ray King is such an amazing foundation for all of us musically, he's the roots. He's the guy we learn from" he told BBC CWR in a 2019 documentary about 2 Tone music.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

“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

Tone cults were all about aroma and sounds.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

He gives off Boy Scout vibes with his earnest tones and short haircut.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026

Her wide-ranging contralto—the lowest of female vocal types—could produce rich, cello-like tones or ascend easily into the soprano realm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Teasing tones aside, President Stubb put his finger squarely on the pulse of deepening EU-Canadian relations.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Research is ongoing, but many papers have sought to analyze not only the different pitches and tones of the meow, but also how good we — humans, that is — are at understanding them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

“She is now living at Thornfield Hall,” said Mason, in more articulate tones: “I saw her there last April. I am her brother.”

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

He has hinted the dot plot could be toned down or eventually shelved, but it’s unclear if he has enough support inside the Fed to take such a step.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

The question then is whether children will still bother with them, once they are deliberately toned down into a much blander offering.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Wearing a life vest that showcased his toned arms, Macron cut a sporty figure as he vacationed at the Bregancon Fort, the presidential retreat, during France's August summer break.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

They toned down the Vegas kitsch when redecorating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Peter asked gently, his usual bravado toned down about 90 percent.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Which is an argument for toning down the trash talk in online group chats where you can’t read expressions or read the room.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

In addition to toning and smoothing my skin, it improves my mood and helps me sleep.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025

AP's rules only allow "minor adjustments" in certain circumstances, including cropping and toning and colour adjustments, as well as the removal of dust on camera sensors.

From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2024

Backgrounds should not be digitally blurred or eliminated by burning down or by aggressive toning.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2024

“Nope. Sure doesn’t. It looks like Majidi has lots of time to work on toning his quads.”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Related Words

• approach
• aspect
• character
• expression
• fashion
• feel
• humor
• manner
• mode
• mood
• nature
• note
• quality
• style
• tenor
• trend