tenor

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tenor The performance features Katherine Polit (soprano), Sarah-Nicole Ruddy-Carter (mezzo soprano), Aaron Humble (tenor), and Michael Sokol (baritone), and includes selections from operas by Delibes, Saint-Saens, Donizetti, Verdi, Offenbach, and Wagner. Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025 The fast start is the latest reminder the tenor of and around the Mets may have completely changed last season…and ensured Soto’s first month would be nothing like one endured by any of his predecessors. Jerry Beach, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025 The performance features Katherine Polit (soprano), Sarah-Nicole Ruddy-Carter (mezzo soprano), Aaron Humble (tenor) and Michael Sokol (baritone), and includes selections from operas by Delibes, Saint-Saens, Donizetti, Verdi, Offenbach and Wagner. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025 The result completely changes the tenor of the matchup. Sean Gentille, New York Times, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tenor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenor
Noun
  • They were being called out publicly, of course, but that forced them to look at themselves and decide to change.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 20 May 2025
  • Pickle flavor, of course, isn’t just delegated to counter-service restaurants.
    Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • Kirkland Signature Double Sided Gift Wrap features six, 90-square foot rolls that come in four different styles.
    Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 14 May 2025
  • Hitch mount: This requires a trailer hitch and comes in one of two styles (hanging and platform).
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Alonso’s system typically employed a back three, leaving the wing-backs large amounts to cover in both directions.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 14 May 2025
  • One basis point is equivalent to 0.01%, and yields and prices move in opposite directions.
    Brian Evans,Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • As the graph shows below, Bellingham, like most of Real Madrid midfielders, has a tendency to hold on to the ball, whereas Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen midfield is defined by quick and incisive short passes.
    Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • Though moderators control questioning during such forums, too, candidates have a tendency to end up chiming in on each other’s answers when seated next to each other.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • Again, the overall gist is that everyone expects this to be pretty competitive basketball between two good teams.
    Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The general gist of the new dolls is to celebrate two distinct industry roles—musical Artist and Tour Manager.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Kathleen Bush-Joseph, an attorney and policy analyst with the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute previously mentioned that the database doesn’t always have the final dispositions of cases.
    Kimmy Yam, NBC news, 15 May 2025
  • Shutt says Ruby has the sweetest disposition and knows which office staff member has the best treats.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • No single afternoon—no matter how joyous—can undo decades of scandal or secular drift.
    Christopher Hale, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
  • My calendar is my battlefield map—no distractions, no drift, just discipline.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Noun
  • Analysts also see an inclination among some officials to keep certain communications private, not just from spies but also from government recordkeeping.
    Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025
  • Conveniently dovetailing into some of the notions offered this weekend to Trump at Mar-a-Lago by Oscar-winner Voight and his team, Newsom’s pitch of a national tax incentive for big screen and small screen production is clearly aimed to appeal to Trump’s bigger-is-better inclinations.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 5 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tenor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenor. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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