tone

noun \ ˈtōn \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

Examples: tone in a Sentence

Definition of tone

1 : vocal or musical sound of a specific quality

spoke in low tones

masculine tones

; especially : musical sound with respect to timbre and manner of expression

2 a : a sound of definite pitch and vibration

b : whole step

3 : accent or inflection expressive of a mood or emotion

4 : style or manner of expression in speaking or writing

seemed wise to adopt a conciliatory tone

5 : a particular pitch or change of pitch constituting an element in the intonation of a phrase or sentence

high tone

low tone

mid tone

low-rising tone

falling tone

6 : the pitch of a word often used to express differences of meaning

7 a (1) : color quality or value

(2) : a tint or shade of color

b : the color that appreciably modifies a hue or white or black

gray walls of greenish tone

8 : the effect in painting of light and shade together with color

9 a : normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli; specifically : muscular tonus

b : the state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor

10 a : general character, quality, or trend

a city's upbeat tone

b : frame of mind : mood

c : healthy elasticity : resiliency

See tone defined for English-language learners

See tone defined for kids

Examples of tone in a Sentence

He replied in a friendly tone.
They spoke in hushed tones.
Don't use that rude tone of voice with me.
the low tones of an organ
The speech had religious tones to it.
The author's tone shows her attitude toward the subject.
The professor's condescending tone irritated some students.
a bright, dark, or light tone of blue
the soft tones of the painting

Recent Examples of tone from the Web

The midday sun ducked behind a rain cloud, dimming the living room into a sort of sepia tone, and Les Williams, feeling restless and a bit bored, pointed the remote at the television and put on football.

— jesse dougherty, chicagotribune.com, "Former Alabama player Les Williams is one of more than 100 suing NCAA over brain injuries," 3 July 2018
The researchers behind it hope their process can one day grow hairs from many different animals, not just sheep, as well as produce colored wool in an array of fantastical tones.

— emily matchar, Smithsonian, "What Will It Take To Make Vegan Wool?," 29 June 2018
A few of these sentences convey in miniature the dilemmas of tone that dogged the presidential campaigns of John Kerry and Hillary Clinton.

— jedediah purdy, The New Republic, "The Remaking of Class," 27 June 2018
Later, the performers elicited daubs of tone from conventional instruments, as if translating those found objects into spectral music.

— alex ross, The New Yorker, "The Sonic Fury of the Ojai Music Festival," 24 June 2018
With the incorporation of hip-hop music, an airy ambiance and hands-on guidance, 'Hood Yoga' founder, Chaundra Cabrera, is helping calibrate an undercurrent of tones that represent an entire community.

— arizona republic, azcentral, "Phoenix 'Hood Yoga' studio created for people looking for different beat," 21 June 2018
The passage is illustrative of DeKnight’s trademark tone throughout the text: decidedly auntie-like, with equal parts admonition and affirmation.

— hannah giorgis, Bon Appetit, "How Freda DeKnight’s Cookbook, ‘A Date with a Dish’ Inspired Generations of Black Cooks," 19 June 2018
The company's pictures show the kinds of things that the new system enables: among others, there's a pregnant avatar, a couple of avatars with prostheses, and two that use wheelchairs, all with a wide range of skin tones, poses, and hair styles.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "Microsoft’s new diverse avatar editor represents more body types, disabilities," 19 June 2018
Harmony is the organization of tones played simultaneously.

— jonathon keats, Discover Magazine, "Science of Music," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tone

Middle English, from Anglo-French tun, ton, from Latin tonus tension, tone, from Greek tonos, literally, act of stretching; akin to Greek teinein to stretch — more at thin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

tone Synonyms

Synonyms

character, colors, complexion, constitution, genius, nature, personality, self;

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;

tone

verb

Definition of tone

toned; toning

transitive verb

1 a : to impart tone to : strengthen

medicine to tone up the system

b : to soften or reduce in intensity, color, appearance, or sound : mellow —often used with down

c : to change the normal silver image of (something, such as a photographic print) into a colored image

2 : to give a particular intonation or inflection to

3 : intone

intransitive verb

1 : to assume a pleasing color quality or tint

2 : to blend or harmonize in color

See tone defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of tone from the Web

Savory and high-toned, with dry, earthy aromas and flavors of flowers and citrus.

— eric asimov, New York Times, "American Rosés Without Clichés," 5 July 2018
The interior boasts concrete stairs, birch plywood walls, and neutral toned furniture.

— liz stinson, Curbed, "Prefab modern lake house is powered by the sun," 5 July 2018
But rare specimens can be bright blue, orange, yellow, calico, or even split-toned, like one found in Scarborough, Maine in July 2015.

— eli meixler, Time, "A 'One-in-100 Million' Cotton Candy-Colored Lobster Was Found Near Maine," 14 June 2018
This popular 10-piece palette is a great happy-medium for fans of both warm and cool-toned hues.

— tanisha pina, Allure, "Yes, E.L.F. Makeup Is Under $1 — But Only for a Limited Time," 13 June 2018
Such was the case with the two-toned Herve Chapelier nylon totes of the late nineties and early aughts; now, in the age of Instagram, it’s Cult Gaia’s Ark bag.

— alexandra ilyashov, Glamour, "The Full Story Behind Fashion's Favorite—and Most Affordable—'It Bag'," 16 May 2018
Plan to burn between 50 to 110 calories during this core-toning workout, recommended five days a week.

— NBC News, "10 no-excuses workouts you can do using Amazon Prime," 16 Jan. 2018
Nevertheless, Van Zile said that other mainline churches have toned down the anti-Israel rhetoric in recent years.

— sean savage, Jewish Journal, "Presbyterian Church continues trend of targeting Israel at its General Assembly," 26 June 2018
Jones' luxe taste continues with Sisley Floral Toning Lotion ($103; nordstrom.com); made from botanical extracts, the toning lotion is alcohol-free and safe for use on sensitive skin types.

— lisa desantis, Health.com, "These Are the Beauty Products January Jones Uses Every Single Day," 14 June 2018

First Known Use of tone

1660

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Tone

biographical name \ ˈtōn \

Definition of Tone

(Theobald) Wolfe 1763–1798 Irish revolutionary

TONE Defined for English Language Learners

tone

noun

Definition of tone for English Language Learners

: the quality of a person's voice
: the quality of a sound produced by a musical instrument or singing voice
: a quality, feeling, or attitude expressed by the words that someone uses in speaking or writing

tone

verb

Definition of tone for English Language Learners

: to give strength and firmness to (something, such as muscles or skin)

TONE Defined for Kids

tone

noun \ ˈtōn \

Definition of tone for Students

1 : an individual way of speaking or writing especially when used to express an emotion

He replied in a friendly tone.

2 : common character or quality

There was a polite tone to the discussions.

3 : quality of spoken or musical sound

4 : a sound on one pitch

5 : a shade of color

The room is decorated in soft tones.

6 : a color that changes another

It's gray with a blue tone.

7 : a healthy state of the body or any of its parts

He has good muscle tone.

tone

verb

Definition of tone for Students

toned; toning

: to give a healthy state to : strengthen

She exercised to tone up her muscles.

— tone down

: to soften or blend in color, appearance, or sound

Can you tone down the music?

Medical Dictionary

tone

noun \ ˈtōn \

medical Definition of tone

1 : a sound of definite pitch and vibration

2 a : the state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor

b : normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli; specifically : tonus 2

tone

transitive verb

medical Definition of tone

toned; toning

: to impart tone to

tone the muscles

Learn More about tone

See words that rhyme with tone Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tone Spanish Central: Translation of tone Nglish: Translation of tone for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tone for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tone

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up tone? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

tone

Definition of tone

Examples of tone in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tone from the Web

Origin and Etymology of tone

tone Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

tone

Definition of tone

Recent Examples of tone from the Web

First Known Use of tone

Tone

Definition of Tone

Phrases Related to TONE

Related Phrases

TONE Defined for English Language Learners

tone

Definition of tone for English Language Learners

tone

Definition of tone for English Language Learners

TONE Defined for Kids

tone

Definition of tone for Students

tone

Definition of tone for Students

Medical Dictionary

tone

medical Definition of tone

tone

medical Definition of tone

Learn More about tone

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Words We're Watching: 'Laze'

5 Words for Clumsy People

Test Your Emoji Exceptionalism

Trending: Ocasio-Cortez Sparks 'Socialism' Lookups

Ghost Word