26984 words

tone

20 definitions • 22 examples
1
a quality in the voice that expresses the speaker's feelings or thoughts, often towards the person being spoken to:

Examples:

tone of voice I tried to use a sympathetic tone of voice.
Don't speak to me in that tone of voice (= angrily), young lady!
It wasn't so much what she said that annoyed me - it was her tone.
2
the quality of someone's voice:

Examples:

in shocked, hushed, low, etc. tones She recounted the story to me in shocked tones (= in a shocked voice).
3
a change in how high or low the voice is that can change the meaning of a word or sentence
4
the general mood or main qualities of something:

Examples:

I didn't like the jokey tone of the article - I thought it was inappropriate.
lower the tone Trust you to lower the tone of the evening by telling disgusting jokes, Mark!
raise the tone Both candidates need to raise the tone of the campaign, as the electorate is tired of negative campaigning.
set the tone for He was in a very bad mood when he arrived, and that set the tone for the whole meeting.
5
a form or degree of a colour:

Examples:

6
the healthy tightness of the body, especially the muscles:

Examples:

muscle tone After you've had a baby you lose the muscle tone in your stomach.
7
the largest difference in pitch between two notes that are next to each other in the western musical scale, equal to two semitones:

Examples:

whole tone The interval from G to A is a whole tone.
8

Examples:

the beautiful rich tones of his tenor voice
9
one of the continuous sounds that you hear on a phone that tell you if the other phone is ringing, if it is busy, etc.:

Examples:

I've called him several times but I keep getting the engaged tone.
Please wait until you hear the dialling tone (= the sound that a phone makes when it is ready to be used).
10
If you tone a part of the body, you make it firmer and stronger, usually by doing physical exercise:

Examples:

This is a good exercise for toning up the thighs.
11
a quality in the voice, esp. one that expresses the speaker’s feelings, often toward the person being addressed:

Examples:

His tone was apologetic.
12
the mood or general feeling of something:

Examples:

The tone of his remarks was confident and reassuring.
13
The tone of a piece of writing expresses the writer's attitude toward the subject or the reader:

Examples:

The angry tone of this essay reveals her feelings about the war.
14
a musical, mechanical, or voice sound on one note:

Examples:

If you wish to leave a message, please wait until after the tone.
16
A tone is also a step .
17
(esp. of muscles) the quality of being healthy and firm:

Examples:

Swimming helps to develop good muscle tone.
19
an electronic sound that you hear on a phone line:

Examples:

Please leave your message after the tone.
20
an electronic sound when you call a phone number that tells you the person you are calling is already using the phone for another call:

Examples:

I've tried calling her several times but I keep on getting a busy tone.

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