tone

1 a distinctive way of putting ideas into words <the angry tone of his letter makes it clear he doesn't want to speak to me ever again> Synonyms fashion, locution, manner, mode, phraseology, style, veinRelated Words address, delivery, elocution; archaism, colloquialism, regionalism; acceptation, connotation, denotation, expression, idiom

2 a property that becomes apparent when light falls on an object and by which things that are identical in form can be distinguished <fall fashions in deep jewel tones> Synonyms cast, hue, shade, tincture, tinge, tint, colorRelated Words overtone, undertone; primary color, secondary color, tertiary color; brightness, chroma, chromaticity, contrast, lightness, saturation, value; coloration, coloring, colorway, pigmentationNear Antonyms achromatism

3 the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others <all that showbiz glitz is out of keeping with the tone of the college> Synonyms character, clay, colors, complexion, constitution, genius, personality, self, natureRelated Words distinctiveness, distinctness, individuality, singularity, uniqueness; attribute, characteristic, earmark, essentiality, feature, flavor, hallmark, mark, point, property, savor (also savour), stamp, trait; disposition, grain, sort, temper, temperament; composition, makeup; essence, essentiality, interior, interiority, soul, spirit; metal, stuff, substance; habit, way