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

Spot prices of the red metal, which is seen as a leading indicator for the health of the global economy, hit another high on Friday at $11,816 per ton on the London Metals Exchange, with 3-month futures closing at $11,515. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025

This Sephora Favorites Holiday Perfume Sampler Set features a plush pink storage bag stuffed with mini vials from Tom Ford, Prada, Jo Malone London, and tons more top-tier fragrance brands. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 14 Dec. 2025

In Allegheny County, there are two dozen trucks and more than 9,000 tons of salt at the ready. —Patrick Damp, CBS News, 14 Dec. 2025

However, this one packs a ton more flavor with ingredients like maple syrup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and bacon. —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2025

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