Definition

1. Noun:

   • The quality or character of sound, especially of a voice or musical instrument: "tone" refers to the particular sound quality, including its pitch, strength, and timbre.
   • The general character or attitude of something, such as writing, speech, or a situation: "tone" can describe the overall feeling, mood, or attitude conveyed.
   • A musical sound of definite pitch and duration: In music, "tone" is a single sound with a specific frequency.
   • A shade or variety of a color: In visual arts, "tone" refers to a particular quality or shade of a color.
   • The normal level of firmness or functional vigor in a living organism, especially in muscles: In physiology, "tone" describes the slight, continuous contraction of muscles.

2. Verb:

   • To give a particular tone or quality to: "tone" means to modify the sound, color, or character of something.
   • To make firmer or stronger, especially muscles: "tone" means to improve the strength and firmness of body tissue.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The gentle tone of her voice was very calming. (The specific sound quality of her speaking voice was soothing.)
  • The article had a very critical tone. (The overall attitude of the writing was one of criticism.)
  • The piano produced a clear, pure tone. (The musical sound from the piano had a definite pitch and quality.)
  • She painted the wall in a warm, earthy tone. (She used a particular shade of color.)
  • Regular exercise improves muscle tone. (Exercise increases the firmness and strength of muscles.)

• Verb:

  • The editor asked the writer to tone down the harsh language. (The editor requested a modification to make the language less severe.)
  • She does Pilates to tone her abdominal muscles. (She exercises to strengthen and firm her stomach muscles.)

Advanced Usage

• "to set the tone": to establish a particular mood or attitude at the beginning.
  • The manager's opening remarks set a positive tone for the meeting.
• "tone-deaf" (adj): literally, unable to perceive differences in musical pitch; figuratively, insensitive to nuances of feeling or situation.
  • His tone-deaf comments offended many people at the event.

Variants and Related Words

• Tonal (adj): relating to tone or tonality.
  • The painting has a warm tonal quality.
• Tonality (n): the character of a piece of music as determined by the key in which it is written or the relations between the notes of a scale.
• Intonation (n): the rise and fall of the voice in speaking; accuracy of pitch in playing or singing.
• Monotone (n/adj): a continuing sound, especially of someone's voice, that is unchanging in pitch and therefore boring.

Synonyms

• Sound (n): vibrations that travel through the air and can be heard.
• Timbre (n): the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch and intensity.
• Mood (n): the atmosphere or feeling of a place or situation.
• Shade (n): a color, especially with regard to how light or dark it is.
• Firmness (n): the quality of being solid and resilient.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Tone down: to make something less extreme, forceful, or vivid.
  • He was asked to tone down his aggressive marketing tactics.
• Tone up: to make something stronger, firmer, or more vigorous.
  • These exercises will help tone up your legs.

Related Idioms

• Tone of voice: the way someone speaks which conveys their feeling or attitude.
  • It wasn't what she said, but her sarcastic tone of voice that was hurtful.
• Lower the tone: to make something less respectable or of lower quality.
  • Those cheap decorations really lower the tone of the restaurant.

Noun

1. the quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author
   • the general tone of articles appearing in the newspapers is that the government should withdraw
   • from the tone of her behavior I gathered that I had outstayed my welcome
2. a musical interval of two semitones
3. the elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli
   • the doctor tested my tonicity
4. a steady sound without overtones
   • they tested his hearing with pure tones of different frequencies
5. a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound
   • the singer held the note too long
6. a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color
   • after several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted
7. the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people
   • the feel of the city excited him
   • a clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
   • it had the smell of treason
8. (music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound)
   • the timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely
   • the muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet
9. (linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages
   • the Beijing dialect uses four tones
10. the quality of a person's voice
    • he began in a conversational tone
    • he spoke in a nervous tone of voice

Verb

1. give a healthy elasticity to
   • Let's tone our muscles
2. change to a color image
   • tone a photographic image
3. change the color or tone of
   • tone a negative
4. vary the pitch of one's speech
5. utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically
   • The students chanted the same slogan over and over again