tony
adjective
high-toned; stylish.
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tonier.
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:
Now, there has been what he called a “very suspicious fire” in a building in the neighborhood’s tony Highlands where he maintained an office for his crystals company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 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
Four years before purchasing their Malibu hideaway, Gadot and Varsano purchased an enormous primary residence in the tony Beverly Crest community in Beverly Hills, records show.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026
Sandwiched between Bel-Air and Santa Monica, the tony Los Angeles neigborhood of Brentwood has long been home to more than its fair share of industry captains, actors, directors, musicians, media moguls and professional athletes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025
“Curiosity. Or perhaps envy. We’re clearly dressed for an important party. We do look rather tony, don’t we, Marion?”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Bisignano said: “My experience working for leaders such as Jamie Dimon, Sandy Weill, Tony Terracciano, Henry Kravis and Scott Nuttall has prepared me for the privilege of serving the American people.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Burnham in his speech quoted the famous line attributed to Tony Wilson in the film 24 Hour Party People: "It's Manchester, we do things differently here."
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Indeed, her 1964 signature hit "Downtown", which sold millions and earned her a Grammy award, had no lyrics when she first heard composer Tony Hatch playing it on the piano.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Times staff writers Tony Briscoe and Seamus Bozeman contributed to this report.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
“Some dude named Dr. Sinclair Blackbridge is giving a talk to a bunch of brainiacs,” said Tony.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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
Liza Minnelli, 79, is an actress, singer and dancer who won an Oscar for her role in the 1972 film “Cabaret” and has also received four Tonys, an Emmy and an honorary Grammy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
Mr. Harris is always effortlessly charming, whether he’s hosting the Tonys or hawking mushroom coffee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
Taub won two Tonys for book and original score, beaming from the stage at last year’s ceremony — as the ultimate multi-hyphenate — in a plum-colored satin dress.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 17, 2025
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 Onions, Oliver [pseud.]
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
Even after a post-fire decline, the average Altadena home value is currently about $1.15 million, according to Zillow, roughly a third the value of average homes in the mostly tonier Palisades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 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 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
To dazzle him he invited him to dine at one of the most notable and "toniest" of restaurants.
From Ever Heard This? Over Three Hundred Good Stories by Chambers, F. W.
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.
