ton

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈtən 

plural tons also ton

1

: any of various units of weight:

a

: short ton see Weights and Measures Table

b

: metric ton

2

: a great quantity : lot

ate tons of cookies

has tons of money

a ton of work to do

3

a

: a unit of internal capacity for ships equal to 100 cubic feet

called also register ton

b

: a unit approximately equal to the volume of a long ton weight of seawater used in reckoning the displacement of ships and equal to 35 cubic feet

c

: a unit of volume for cargo freight usually reckoned at 40 cubic feet

called also measurement ton

ton

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈtōⁿ 

1

: the prevailing fashion : vogue

2

: the quality or state of being smart or fashionable

Synonyms of ton

Noun (1)

• loads
• plenty
• dozen
• lot
• slew
• bunch
• chunk
• pile
• deal
• quantity

Noun (2)

• latest
• trend
• craze
• enthusiasm
• rage
• vogue
• style
• buzz

Examples of ton in a Sentence

Noun (1)

I received a ton of advice on the problem—all of it unsolicited

Noun (2)

granite countertops became all the ton in kitchen decor

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The social cost of carbon is an economic metric used in climate policy to estimate the damages that a ton of carbon dioxide causes to humans today, Bastien-Olvera said. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2026

This puffy tote features tons of interior pockets for easy organization, a water-resistant exterior, and weighs under a pound. —Annie Blackman, InStyle, 15 Jan. 2026

Power consumption varies by weather—12 tons of fuel on calm days, 15 tons during winter storms with headwinds. —Ryan Craggs, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026

On board this ship were 10 tons of copper ingots, ceramic jars full of wine from Cyprus and oil from the Levant, glass beads, an Egyptian scarab of Queen Nefertiti of Egypt, and Aegean pots. —Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English tunne unit of weight or capacity — more at tun

Noun (2)

borrowed from French, "pitch, tone, manner, style," going back to Old French, "sound of voices, voice quality," going back to Latin tonus "strain, tension, musical pitch, note" — more at tone entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun (2)

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ton

• bon ton
• came down on us like a ton of bricks
• deadweight ton
• gross ton
• hit him like a ton of bricks
• like a ton of bricks
• long ton
• measurement ton
• metric ton
• register ton
• short ton
• weigh a ton

Rhymes for ton

• bun
• done
• dun
• fun
• gun
• hun
• jun
• none
• nun
• one
• pun
• run

Kids Definition

ton

noun

ˈtən

plural tons also ton

1

a

short ton

b

: long ton

2

: metric ton

3