tony

1 of 2

adjective

ˈtō-nē 

variants or less commonly toney

tonier; toniest

: marked by an aristocratic or high-toned manner or style

tony private schools

Tony

2 of 2

noun

To·​ny ˈtō-nē 

plural Tonys

: a medallion awarded annually by a professional organization for notable achievement in the theater

Examples of tony in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Long celebrated as arguably the city’s toniest small-business district, the avenue has suffered its share of vacant commercial buildings. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026

The sheer scale of an estate for sale in San Francisco’s tony Pacific Heights neighborhood — a residence spanning 26,000 square feet, or the equivalent of 10 average homes — arrests the imagination. —David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026

The tony suburb of Fairfield, for instance, was sued this winter by developers who plan two separate 8-30g projects with a total of 128 units. —Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026

One of the best luxury cruise lines, Silversea offers all-suite staterooms with butler service and an all-around tony atmosphere. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Tony, nickname of Antoinette Perry †1946 American actress & producer

First Known Use

Adjective

1877, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1947, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tony

• boney
• boni
• bony
• coney
• crony
• monie
• mony
• phoney
• phony
• stoney
• stony
• toney