Synonyms of tenor

tenor

noun

1

as in course

Related Words

• course
• direction
• gist
• drift
• sum
• essence
• meat
• bottom line
• core
• crux
• heart
• pith
• nucleus
• pivot
• keynote
• net
• content
• centerpiece
• nub
• body
• substance
• kernel
• root
• bull's-eye
• subject
• meat and potatoes
• point
• proposition
• theme
• hypothesis
• thesis
• nubbin
• purport

2

as in style

Related Words

• style
• tendency
• disposition
• inclination
• set
• mode
• proclivity
• bent
• bag
• usage
• turn
• convention
• practice
• deportment
• pattern
• regime
• use
• addiction
• practise
• form
• manners
• custom
• ritual
• second nature
• groove
• characteristic
• fashion
• habit
• mores
• regimen
• régime
• way
• habitude
• affectation
• routine
• trait
• drill
• rut
• airs
• attribute
• pose
• trick
• rote
• wont
• jog trot
• mark

Synonym Chooser

How is the word tenor different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of tenor are current, drift, tendency, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

When is current a more appropriate choice than tenor?

While the synonyms current and tenor are close in meaning, current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

In what contexts can drift take the place of tenor?

The words drift and tenor can be used in similar contexts, but drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

the drift of the population away from large cities

got the drift of her argument

When might tendency be a better fit than tenor?

Although the words tendency and tenor have much in common, tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

When would trend be a good substitute for tenor?

The meanings of trend and tenor largely overlap; however, trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tenor

Born in 1935 in Modena into a working-class family – his father was a baker, while his mother worked in a cigar factory – Luciano Pavarotti developed a passion for opera as a child thanks to his father, an amateur tenor. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 11 June 2025

Gone is the campy do-gooder; she’s been modernized, made savvy to the social and political tenor of the current day. —Aviva Dove-Viebahn, Scientific American, 9 June 2025

But just minutes into the hour-long session in Butler County, Iowa, the tenor quickly shifted. —Alana Wise, NPR, 31 May 2025

While the amount of practice and the tenor of coaching staffs throughout the NFL have made for a much easier experience overall, the quality of play in the first month of the regular season has taken a huge hit. —Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025