tuneful

[toon-fuhl, tyoon-]

adjective

1. full of melody; melodious.

   tuneful compositions.

   Synonyms: sweet, dulcet, harmonious, musical
   Antonyms: discordant

2. producing musical sounds or melody.

tuneful

/ ˈtjuːnfʊl /

adjective

1. having a pleasant or catchy tune; melodious

2. producing a melody or music

   a tuneful blackbird

Other Word Forms

• tunefully adverb
• tunefulness noun
• untuneful adjective
• untunefully adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tuneful¹

First recorded in 1585–95; tune + -ful

Example Sentences

It began with the score’s hit, “A Simple Song,” Bernstein at his most tuneful, even saccharine.

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The sound is raw yet tuneful, with scratchy electric guitars and whomping live drums in place of the synth-ier, more intricately layered productions of “Love Hate Music Box.”

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Also: “Mayhem” is better than “Chromatica” — more tuneful, more coherent, certainly more fun.

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Wicked and Emilia Pérez are the first tuneful twosome to be up for the top prize since Funny Girl and Oliver! in 1969.

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In season three, for instance, Sam helps guide Brad, her best friend Joel’s boyfriend, through a tuneful declaration of his devotion.

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Related Words

• catchy 
• symphonic