untuneful
/' n'tju:nful/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective 1. Not melodious; lacking a pleasant musical quality: Describes a sound, voice, or piece of music that is not harmonious, pleasant to hear, or in tune. It often implies a harsh, discordant, or unpleasant quality.
Usage
The adjective "untuneful" is used to describe sounds that are musically unpleasant. It is the direct opposite of "tuneful." It is a formal or literary word, more commonly replaced in everyday speech by synonyms like "discordant" or "unmelodious."
Examples
- The singer's untuneful voice made it difficult to enjoy the song.
- An untuneful chorus of car horns filled the busy intersection.
- The old piano was so out of tune that it produced only untuneful notes.
Advanced Usage
- Comparative and Superlative Forms: "untuneful" (base), "more untuneful" (comparative), "most untuneful" (superlative).
- Of the two amateur bands, the first was the more untuneful.
- Adverbial Form: "untunefully."
- The child sang untunefully but with great enthusiasm.
Variants and Related Words
- Tuneful (adj.): Having a pleasant tune; melodious. This is the direct antonym.
- The tuneful melody was easy to remember.
- Tune (n.): A melody, especially one that characterizes a piece of music.
- She hummed a familiar tune.
Synonyms
- Discordant: (of sounds) harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony.
- Unmelodious: Not having a pleasing melody.
- Dissonant: Lacking harmony; clashing.
- Cacophonous: Involving or producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
- Atonal: (Specifically in music) Not written in any key or mode; lacking a tonal center.
Antonyms
- Tuneful
- Melodious
- Harmonious
- Euphonious
Related Idioms or Phrases
- To be music to someone's ears: To be something very pleasant to hear. ("Untuneful" describes the opposite of this.)
- The news of their safe return was music to our ears.
Adjective
- not having a musical sound or pleasing tune