Synonyms for
Tone
Definition
A musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength.
Synonyms & similar words
inflect
tonicity
spirit
tincture
feel
flavour
smell
modulate
tint
note
shade
strengthen
look
chant
intone
step
feeling
flavor
timbre
quality
atonicity
tonus
timber
pitch
timbre
sound
voice
inflection
accent
cadence
intonation
resonance
vocalization
articulation
expression
mood
atmosphere
character
temperament
tenor
style
approach
way
Synonyms by register
Antonyms
Common collocations
- tone of voice
- angry tone
- friendly tone
- change the tone
- set the tone
- warm tone
- somber tone
- professional tone
Word family
Usage note
The word 'tone' can refer to the pitch or sound quality of a voice, or the attitude or feeling conveyed in writing or speech. Be mindful of the context to distinguish between these meanings.
Compare "tone" with another word →
Example sentences
- The tone of the music was very upbeat.
- She used a stern tone of voice when talking to her children.
- He tried to match the tone of his guitar to the song.
- The tone of the book was dark and ominous.
- She used a sarcastic tone when speaking to her friend.
Quotes
'The tone of good conversation is brilliant and scintillating.' - Winston Churchill
'Language is the dress of thought; and as the noblest mien or most graceful action would be degraded and obscured by a garb appropriated to the coarsest and most vulgar employments, so the most heroic sentiments will lose their efficacy, and the most splendid ideas drop their magnificence, if they are not arrayed in words which are the dress of thoughts, and adapted to the tone of the mind which utters them.' - Charles Caleb Colton
'I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.' - Martin Luther King Jr.