The manner in which an author expresses his or her attitude; the intonation of the voice that expresses meaning. Tone is described by adjectives, and the possibilities are nearly endless. Often a single adjective will not be enough, and tone may change or shift from chapter to chapter or stanza to stanza or even line to line. Tone is the result of allusion, diction, figurative language, imagery, irony, motif, symbol, syntax, and style.
Very young children can sense a speaker's attitude in tone. But understanding tone in prose and poetry is an entirely different matter. The reader does not have voice inflection to carry meaning. Thus, a student's appreciation (knowledge) of word choice, details, imagery, and language all contribute to the understanding of tone. To misinterpret tone is to misinterpret meaning.
Terms : Hide Images
| 6431773069 | critical | inclined to find fault or judge with severity | 0 | |
| 6431773070 | angry | feeling or showing anger and strong resentment | 1 | |
| 6431773071 | infuriated | displaying anger in a passionate way | 2 | |
| 6431773072 | irate | displaying anger in a dispassionate way | 3 | |
| 6431773073 | aggravated | to be or become irritated or inflamed | 4 | |
| 6431773074 | indignant | feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, or base | 5 | |
| 6431773075 | outraged | strongly offended, insulted, or affronted | 6 | |
| 6431773076 | bitter | resentful or cynical | 7 | |
| 6431773077 | ambiguous | open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations | 8 | |
| 6431773078 | confused | mystified | 9 | |
| 6431773079 | perplexed | bewildered; puzzled | 10 | |
| 6431773080 | caustic | severely critical or sarcastic | 11 | |
| 6431773081 | biting | capable of gripping and affecting or wounding | 12 | |
| 6431773082 | irreverent | showing a lack of respect for things or people that should be taken seriously | 13 | |
| 6431773083 | mocking | teasing or laughing at in a scornful way | 14 | |
| 6431773084 | disdainful | showing contempt or a lack of respect | 15 | |
| 6431773085 | contemptuous | scornful, showing contempt | 16 | |
| 6431773086 | sardonic | grimly mocking or cynical | 17 | |
| 6431773087 | sarcastic | marked by or given to using irony in order to mock or convey contempt | 18 | |
| 6431773088 | tongue-in-cheek | used to refer to humor in which a statement, or an entire fictional work, is not meant to be taken seriously, but its sarcasm is subtle | 19 | |
| 6431773089 | ironic | happening in the opposite way to what is expected, and typically causing wry amusement because of this | 20 | |
| 6431773090 | cynical | believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity | 21 | |
| 6431773091 | skeptical | not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations | 22 | |
| 6431773092 | wry | using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor | 23 | |
| 6431773093 | arrogant | having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance and abilities | 24 | |
| 6431773094 | pretentious | attempting to impress by affecting greater important, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed | 25 | |
| 6431773095 | condescending | to talk to someone in a haughty way, as though it is below one's dignity or level of importance | 26 | |
| 6431773096 | patronizing | to treat someone with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority | 27 | |
| 6431773097 | authoritative | commanding and self-confident | 28 | |
| 6431773098 | humourous | causing light-hearted laughter and amusement | 29 | |
| 6431773099 | bantering | an exchange of light, playful, teasing remarks; good-natured raillery | 30 | |
| 6431773100 | silly | weak-minded or lacking good sense; stupid or foolish. Also, absurd, irrational, ridiculous. | 31 | |
| 6431773101 | mock-heroic | imitating or burlesquing that which is heroic, as in manner, character, or action | 32 | |
| 6431773102 | amused | pleasurably entertained, occupied, or diverted | 33 | |
| 6431773103 | joyful | glad; delighted | 34 | |
| 6431773104 | ecstatic | subject to or in a state of ecstacy; rapturous | 35 | |
| 6431773105 | elated | very happy; proud; jubilant | 36 | |
| 6431773106 | effusive | lacking reserve; overflowing | 37 | |
| 6431773107 | contented | satisfied with what one is or has | 38 | |
| 6431773108 | disappointed | depressed or discouraged by the failure of one's hopes or expectations | 39 | |
| 6431773109 | sad | affected by unhappiness or grief | 40 | |
| 6431773110 | elegiac | expressing sorrow or lamentation | 41 | |
| 6431773111 | melancholic | disposed to or affected with melancholy; gloomy | 42 | |
| 6431773112 | depressing/depressed | sad; lower in spirits; dejected; dispirited | 43 | |
| 6431773113 | mournful | feeling or expressing sorrow or grief; sorrowful; sad | 44 | |
| 6431773114 | poignant | keenly distressing to the feelings | 45 | |
| 6431773115 | somber | gloomy, depressing, or dismal | 46 | |
| 6431773116 | bleak | without hope and encouragement | 47 | |
| 6431773117 | whimsical | playfully quaint and fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way | 48 | |
| 6431773118 | fanciful | overimaginative and unrealistic | 49 | |
| 6431773119 | wistful | having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing | 50 | |
| 6431773120 | flippant | not showing a serious or respectful attitude | 51 | |
| 6431773121 | nostalgic | characterized by or showing feelings of nostalgia | 52 | |
| 6431773122 | sentimental | dealing with feeling of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia in an exaggerated or self-indulgent way | 53 | |
| 6431773123 | reflective | relating to or characterized by deep thought; thoughtful | 54 | |
| 6431773124 | regretful | feeling or showing regret | 55 | |
| 6431773125 | remorseful | feeling deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed | 56 | |
| 6431773126 | apologetic | regretfully acknowledging or excusing an offense or failure | 57 | |
| 6431773127 | challenging | provocative; intriguing | 58 | |
| 6431773128 | contentious | causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial | 59 | |
| 6431773129 | surprising | causing wonder or astonishment | 60 | |
| 6431773130 | shocking | extremely startling, distressing, or offensive | 61 | |
| 6431773131 | inflammatory | tending to excite anger, disorder, or tumult | 62 | |
| 6431773132 | horrific | having the power to horrify someone | 63 | |
| 6431773133 | dramatic | highly effective; striking | 64 | |
| 6431773134 | passionate | capable of, affected by, or expressing intense feeling | 65 | |
| 6431773135 | impartial | having no direct involvement or interest and not favoring one person or side over another | 66 | |
| 6431773136 | objective | based on facts rather than thoughts and opinions | 67 | |
| 6431773137 | clinical | practical and unemotional | 68 | |
| 6431773138 | factual | consisting of the truth or including only things that are actual | 69 | |
| 6431773139 | detached | not attached to something and unaffected by emotional involvement | 70 | |
| 6431773140 | disinterested | unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives | 71 | |
| 6431773141 | bored | tired and impatient | 72 | |
| 6431773142 | apathetic | showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern | 73 | |
| 6431773143 | indifferent | having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned | 74 | |
| 6431773144 | straightforward | uncomplicated and easy to do or understand | 75 | |
| 6431773145 | candid | truthful and straightforward; frank | 76 | |
| 6431773146 | pedantic | of or like a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or displaying academic learning | 77 | |
| 6431773147 | learned | having much knowledge; erudite | 78 | |
| 6431773148 | scholarly | concerned with academic learning and research | 79 | |
| 6431773149 | didactic | intended for instruction; inclined to teach and lecture others too much; teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson | 80 | |
| 6431773150 | moralistic | characterized by or displaying a concern with morality | 81 | |
| 6431773151 | inspirational | imparting inspiration (stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity | 82 | |
| 6431773152 | respectful | full of, characterized by, or showing politeness or deference | 83 | |
| 6431773153 | reverent | feeling or showing deep and solemn respect | 84 | |
| 6431773154 | appreciative | being thankful or grateful for something | 85 | |
| 6431773155 | sympthetic | feeling, showing, or expressing sympathy | 86 | |
| 6431773156 | compassionate | feeling or showing concern for others | 87 | |
| 6431773157 | interested | to be engaged or excited about something | 88 | |
| 6431773158 | curious | eager to know and learn something | 89 | |
| 6431773159 | urgent | needing attention very soon, especially before anything else, because important | 90 | |
| 6431773160 | serious | needing or deserving your complete attention | 91 | |
| 6431773161 | ominous | suggesting that something unpleasant is likely to happen | 92 | |
| 6431773162 | apprehensive | feeling worried about something you are going to do | 93 | |
| 6431773163 | foreboding | a feeling that something very bad is likely to happen soon | 94 | |
| 6431773164 | threatening | expressing a threat of something unpleasant and violent | 95 | |
| 6431773165 | accusing | reproachful; condemning | 96 | |
| 6431773166 | admiring | to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval | 97 | |
| 6431773167 | admonitory | serving to warn, especially to correct | 98 | |
| 6431773168 | affectionate | having or displaying warmth or affection | 99 | |
| 6431773169 | ambivalent | having mixed or opposing feelings at the same time | 100 | |
| 6431773170 | amiable | friendly, pleasant, likable | 101 | |
| 6431773171 | artificial | not genuine; insincere | 102 | |
| 6431773172 | belligerent | given to fighting, warlike; combative, aggressive | 103 | |
| 6431773173 | benevolent | kindly; favorable towards; charitable | 104 | |
| 6431773174 | bewildered | completely confused; puzzled | 105 | |
| 6431773175 | brash | offensively bold | 106 | |
| 6431773176 | callous | emotionally hardened; insensitive; unfeeling | 107 | |
| 6431773177 | choleric | easily angered; bad-tempered | 108 | |
| 6431773178 | cheery | bright and pleasant; sanguine | 109 | |
| 6431773179 | condemnatory | expressing strong disapproval of; judgmental; critical | 110 | |
| 6431773180 | consoling | affording comfort or solace | 111 | |
| 6431773181 | contemplative | studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue | 112 | |
| 6431773182 | droll | amusing in a wry, subtle way | 113 | |
| 6431773183 | earnest | serious in intention or purpose; showing depth and sincerity of feelings | 114 | |
| 6431773184 | despairing | hopeless, despondent, discouraged | 115 | |
| 6431773185 | fervent | greatly emotional or zealous | 116 | |
| 6431773186 | forthright | frank, direct, straightforward | 117 | |
| 6431773187 | grateful | feeling or showing gratitude | 118 | |
| 6431773188 | grave | causing fear or anxiety by discussion of matters deserving serious attention; weighty; momentous | 119 | |
| 6431773189 | haughty | arrogant, excessively proud and vain | 120 | |
| 6431773190 | matter-of-fact | unemotional; straightforward | 121 | |
| 6431773191 | meditative | reflective, thoughtful | 122 | |
| 6431773192 | obsequious | attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people from flattery | 123 | |
| 6431773193 | pompous | overly self-important in speech and manner; excessively stately or ceremonious | 124 | |
| 6431773194 | caring | Showing understanding of others by treating them with kindness, compassion, generosity and a forgiving spirit. | 125 | |
| 6431773195 | ceremonial | traditional; ritual; formal | 126 | |
| 6431773196 | cheerful | Happy, in good spirits | 127 | |
| 6431773197 | complimentary | expressing courtesy, respect, admiration, or praise | 128 | |
| 6431773198 | conciliatory | Appeasing, intending to PLACATE | 129 | |
| 6431773199 | confident | sure of oneself, abilities, talents, etc. | 130 | |
| 6431773200 | delightful | greatly pleasing or entertaining | 131 | |
| 6431773201 | ebullient | exhilarated; full of enthusiasm and high spirits | 132 | |
| 6431773202 | empathetic | identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives | 133 | |
| 6431773203 | encouraging | showing support | 134 | |
| 6431773204 | enthusiastic | having or showing great excitement and interest | 135 | |
| 6431773205 | euphoric | Exaggerated feeling of well-being or elation | 136 | |
| 6431773206 | excited | very enthusiastic and eager | 137 | |
| 6431773207 | expectant | anticipating; hopeful | 138 | |
| 6431773208 | exuberant | Full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy | 139 | |
| 6431773209 | gleeful | excited and happy | 140 | |
| 6431773210 | hilarious | Extremely funny, causing loud amusement | 141 | |
| 6431773211 | hopeful | Optimistic | 142 | |
| 6431773212 | incisive | (adj.) sharp, keen, penetrating (with a suggestion of decisiveness and effectiveness) | 143 | |
| 6431773213 | instructive | serving to inform or provide knowledge | 144 | |
| 6431773214 | jocund | Cheerful and lighthearted | 145 | |
| 6431773215 | lighthearted | carefree and happy | 146 | |
| 6431773216 | loving | Feeling or showing love or great care. | 147 | |
| 6431773217 | mirthful | arousing or provoking laughter | 148 | |
| 6431773218 | optimistic | Hopeful, cheerful (adjective) To be hopeful and confident about the future. | 149 | |
| 6431773219 | pensive | Dreamily thoughtful | 150 | |
| 6431773220 | persuasive | capable of convincing | 151 | |
| 6431773221 | playful | full of fun and high spirits | 152 | |
| 6431773222 | rousing | exciting, stirring | 153 | |
| 6431773223 | sanguine | Cheerfully optimistic | 154 | |
| 6431773224 | serene | Calm, peaceful | 155 | |
| 6431773225 | stirring | To affect strongly; excite | 156 | |
| 6431773226 | tender | easily moved to sympathy or compassion; kind | 157 | |
| 6431773227 | thoughtful | showing consideration and anticipation of needs | 158 | |
| 6431773228 | vibrant | Lively; full of vitality | 159 | |
| 6431773229 | annoyed | aroused to impatience or anger | 160 | |
| 6431773230 | anxious | This adjective implies uneasiness, worry, or fear. Do not use it as a substitute of eager. | 161 | |
| 6431773231 | audacious | (adj.) bold, adventurous, recklessly daring | 162 | |
| 6431773232 | blunt | frank or honest without sensitivity: very frank or straightforward and showing no delicacy or consideration | 163 | |
| 6431773233 | bossy | offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power | 164 | |
| 6431773234 | brusque | (adj.) abrupt, blunt, with no formalities | 165 | |
| 6431773235 | cold | lacking in passion, emotion, enthusiasm, ardor, etc.; dispassionate | 166 | |
| 6431773236 | conceited | (ADJ) Having an excessively high opinion of oneself | 167 | |
| 6431773237 | depraved | (adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles | 168 | |
| 6431773238 | derisive | Expressing contempt or ridicule | 169 | |
| 6431773239 | derogatory | Insulting or intended to insult | 170 | |
| 6431773240 | desolate | Lonely and sad | 171 | |
| 6431773241 | desperate | Reckless because of feelings of despair. | 172 | |
| 6431773242 | diabolic | Evil | 173 | |
| 6431773243 | disgusted | adj. cause loathing or nausea in. | 174 | |
| 6431773244 | distressed | Upset | 175 | |
| 6431773245 | disturbed | troubled; worried Agitated or distressed; disrupted. Marked by symptoms of mental illness. | 176 | |
| 6431773246 | enraged | Irate | 177 | |
| 6431773247 | facetious | joking (often inappropriately); humorous | 178 | |
| 6431773248 | fatalistic | Characteristics of notion that all things are controlled by fate and thus beyond human influence; willing to accept every event as inevitable; often pessimistic. | 179 | |
| 6431773249 | fearful | A scared, dreading, or timid tone | 180 | |
| 6431773250 | frantic | Very excited and anxious; extremely worried, panicked, or fearful | 181 | |
| 6431773251 | frightened | Scared | 182 | |
| 6431773252 | frustrated | Feeling annoyed and upset because you cannot do something you are trying to do | 183 | |
| 6431773253 | furious | Angry | 184 | |
| 6431773254 | gloomy | Darkness, sadness, rejection | 185 | |
| 6431773255 | greedy | excessively or inordinately desirous of wealth, profit, etc.; avaricious | 186 | |
| 6431773256 | grim | having a harsh, surly, forbidding, or morbid air | 187 | |
| 6431773257 | gushy | expressing a positive feeling, especially praise, in such a strong way that it does not sound sincere; emotional, enthusiastic, unrestrained, demonstrative, unreserved. | 188 | |
| 6431773258 | holier-than-thou | obnoxiously pious; sanctimonious; self-righteous | 189 | |
| 6431773259 | hopeless | desperate; discouraging | 190 | |
| 6431773260 | insipid | without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid | 191 | |
| 6431773261 | insolent | Boldly rude or disrespectful | 192 | |
| 6431773262 | irritated | Angry and annoyed | 193 | |
| 6431773263 | lethargic | acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner | 194 | |
| 6431773264 | lugubrious | sorrowful; mournful; dismal | 195 | |
| 6431773265 | melodramatic | Overly emotional | 196 | |
| 6431773266 | miserable | very unhappy | 197 | |
| 6431773267 | nervous | highly excitable; unnaturally or acutely uneasy or apprehensive | 198 | |
| 6431773268 | paranoid | A pervasive distrust/suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent | 199 | |
| 6431773269 | pathetic | (adj.) marked by strong emotion, especially pity and sorrow; able to move people emotionally; worthy of pity; woefully inadequate | 200 | |
| 6431773270 | pessimistic | expecting the worst in this worst of all possible worlds | 201 | |
| 6431773271 | petty | (adj.) unimportant, trivial; narrow-minded; secondary in rank, minor | 202 | |
| 6431773272 | proud | Having an exaggerated opinion of personal worth or abilities | 203 | |
| 6431773273 | psychotic | One afflicted with a mental disorder | 204 | |
| 6431773274 | resigned | accepting one's fate; unresisting; patiently submissive | 205 | |
| 6431773275 | satiric | Attacking human vice or foolishness through irony or wit | 206 | |
| 6431773276 | scared | Frightened | 207 | |
| 6431773277 | scornful | (adj.) Expressing offensive reproach; derisive; contemptuous | 208 | |
| 6431773278 | selfish | concerned chiefly or only with yourself | 209 | |
| 6431773279 | simpering | overly emotional or sentimental | 210 | |
| 6431773280 | sinister | Evil | 211 | |
| 6431773281 | sneering | to speak or write in a manner expressive of derision or scorn. | 212 | |
| 6431773282 | staid | (adj.) serious and dignified; quiet or subdued in character or conduct | 213 | |
| 6431773283 | strident | Loud and harsh; insistent | 214 | |
| 6431773284 | suspicious | Inclined or tending to believe that something is wrong | 215 | |
| 6431773285 | taunting | reproaching in scornful or sarcastic language; jeering; mocking | 216 | |
| 6431773286 | terse | Brief and to the point | 217 | |
| 6431773287 | timorous | Fearful, timid | 218 | |
| 6431773288 | turgid | (adj.) swollen, bloated, filled to excess; overdecorated or excessive in language (Polonius) | 219 | |
| 6431773289 | uncaring | indifferent and callous | 220 | |
| 6431773290 | unconcerned | Indifferent | 221 | |
| 6431773291 | uneasy | lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance | 222 | |
| 6431773292 | unsympathetic | lacking in sympathy and kindness | 223 | |
| 6431773293 | vitriolic | (adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid) | 224 | |
| 6431773294 | worried | Anxious | 225 | |
| 6431773295 | wrathful | fiercely angry | 226 | |
| 6431773296 | cool-headed | marked by calm self-control (especially in trying circumstances) | 227 | |
| 6431773297 | cultured | Educated, polished, and refined | 228 | |
| 6431773298 | dispassionate | (adj.) impartial; calm, free from emotion | 229 | |
| 6431773299 | informative | providing or conveying information | 230 | |
| 6431773300 | lyrical | Expressing a poet's inner feelings; emotional; full of images; song-like | 231 | |
| 6431773301 | official | authorized or issued authoritatively | 232 | |
| 6431773302 | pithy | profound or substantial yet concise succinct, and to the point | 233 | |
| 6431773303 | placid | Calm, peaceful | 234 | |
| 6431773304 | plain-speaking | candid; frank; blunt; using simple, direct language | 235 | |
| 6431773305 | questioning | inquisitive | 236 | |
| 6431773306 | reminiscent | Reminding of the past | 237 | |
| 6431773307 | restrained | Controlled, repressed, restricted | 238 | |
| 6431773308 | allusive | containing or making use of indirect hints | 239 | |
| 6431773309 | baffled | Confused | 240 | |
| 6431773310 | burlesque | a ludicrous, mocking, lewd imitation | 241 | |
| 6431773311 | casual | (adj.) happening by chance or on an irregular basis; showing little concern; informal | 242 | |
| 6431773312 | colloquial | Informal, casual, slang. | 243 | |
| 6431773313 | concerned | involved or interested | 244 | |
| 6431773314 | diffident | (adj.) shy, lacking self-confidence; modest, reserved | 245 | |
| 6431773315 | doubtful | Skeptical | 246 | |
| 6431773316 | formal | being in accordance with the usual requirements, customs, etc.; conventional | 247 | |
| 6431773317 | impatient | not patient | 248 | |
| 6431773318 | intimate | To make known subtly; to hint | 249 | |
| 6431773319 | introspective | Contemplating one's own thoughts and feelings | 250 | |
| 6431773320 | laid-back | very relaxed, not seeming to be worried about anything | 251 | |
| 6431773321 | measured | Careful; restrained | 252 | |
| 6431773322 | mock-serious | pretending to be serious | 253 | |
| 6431773323 | mysterious | (adj.) difficult to explain; strange | 254 | |
| 6431773324 | outspoken | candid; blunt | 255 | |
| 6431773325 | provocative | Provoking discussion; stimulating controversy; arousing a reaction | 256 | |
| 6431773326 | relaxed | Free from tension and anxiety | 257 | |
| 6431773327 | reticent | silent; reserved | 258 | |
| 6431773328 | romantic | 19th-century western European artistic and literary movement; held that emotion and impression, not reason, were the keys to the mysteries of human experience and nature; sought to portray passions, not calm reflection. | 259 | |
| 6431773329 | sober | Serious | 260 | |
| 6431773330 | solemn | Not cheerful or smiling; serious; gloomy | 261 | |
| 6431773331 | stoic | One seemingly indifferent to pleasure or pain | 262 | |
| 6431773332 | suspenseful | filled with uncertainty or doubt about what might happen | 263 | |
| 6431773333 | tense | in a state of mental or nervous strain; high-strung; taut | 264 | |
| 6431773334 | zealous | Extremely active, eager, devoted | 265 |
