tone — the quality or character of a sound, especially the pitch, strength, or timbre
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the quality or character of a sound, especially the pitch, strength, or timbre
Pronunciation (IPA): /toʊn/
Example Sentences
- My mom can tell I'm lying just by the tone of my voice over the phone.
- The boss's email had a very threatening tone, even though he was just asking about lunch plans.
- She tried to tone her arms by lifting weights every day.
tone
NOUN[/toʊn/]
the quality or character of a sound, especially the pitch, strength, or timbre
Her gentle tone calmed the nervous child before the dentist visit.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'tonus' meaning 'sound' or 'pitch', which was borrowed from Greek 'tonos' meaning 'tension' or 'stretching'. The word originally referred to the tension of a musical string and evolved to describe the quality of sound produced.
Breakdown
Latin tonus (sound, pitch, tension) = tone
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My mom can tell I'm lying just by the tone of my voice over the phone.”
“The boss's email had a very threatening tone, even though he was just asking about lunch plans.”
“She tried to tone her arms by lifting weights every day.”
“The decorator chose earth tones to create a calming atmosphere.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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