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:
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 tony ski destination’s market had seemed unstoppable—until the snow disappeared.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The expansive Spanish-style abode is located in the tony Spanish Oaks community of the Texas city and offered four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, as well as just over one acre of land.
From MarketWatch ● May 1, 2026
Most of the homes destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires were in three communities: Altadena, a middle-class neighborhood on the city’s east side, the tony hillside Pacific Palisades and high-end beach-front Malibu.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 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
Photoshop him into a 2005 summit meeting alongside Tony Blair, George W. Bush and Jacques Chirac, and he’d fit right in.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
The precious metal is likely to continue reacting to changing monetary policy expectations, says Critical Metals’ Tony Sage in an email.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
In the 1990s, and 2000s leaders like Tony Blair were just as likely to be found on the chatshow sofa as on the Today programme.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
I think about the memories with Denzel and with Tony, and getting to live in Mexico City for six months when you’re 9 years old is pretty spectacular.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
That was why Tony flunked the first big math test of the year.
From "I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919" by Lauren Tarshis
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
The network right now doesn’t seem to be in what you’d call a Tonys state of mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
He shared that he actually has three Tonys, not two.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
The equivalent of the UK's Olivier Awards, this year's Tonys ceremony will take place in New York on 7 June, hosted by singer Pink.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
We can't go on living here, and the Tonys will be home just as Tim's leave's up, and they're sure to leave their Bits behind.
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
But a tonier environment did not equal greater comfort.
From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 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 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
Heirs to the tribal leaders today boast second homes in London’s toniest districts and degrees from British universities.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2022
Look! this is the toniest of the whole concern.
From Parisian Points of View by Edith V. B. Matthews
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
