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Tone Speaking I Speak Sound Skin Surprise Voice

Word tone
WordType (noun)
Phonetic BrE / təʊn / NAmE / toʊn /
Example
  • speaking in hushed/low/clipped/measured, etc. tones
  • a conversational tone
  • a tone of surprise
  • don't speak to me in that tone of voice (= in that unpleasant way).
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Content

tone

(noun)BrE / təʊn / NAmE / toʊn /
  1. the quality of somebody’s voice, especially expressing a particular emotion
    • speaking in hushed/low/clipped/measured, etc. tones
    • a conversational tone
    • a tone of surprise
    • Don't speak to me in that tone of voice (= in that unpleasant way).
    • There's no need to take that tone with me—it's not my fault we're late.
  2. the general character and attitude of something such as a piece of writing, or the atmosphere of an event
    • The overall tone of the book is gently nostalgic.
    • She set the tone for the meeting with a firm statement of company policy.
    • Trust you to lower the tone of the conversation (= for example by telling a rude joke).
    • The article was moderate in tone and presented both sides of the case.
    • The newspaper said voters had been turned off by the negative tone of the campaign.
  3. the quality of a sound, especially the sound of a musical instrument or one produced by electronic equipment
    • the full rich tone of the trumpet
    • the volume and tone controls on a car stereo
  4. a shade of a colour
    • a carpet in warm tones of brown and orange
  5. how strong and firm your muscles or skin are
    • See related entries: Skin
      https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/topic/skin/tone_3
    • how to improve your muscle/skin tone
  6. a sound heard on a telephone line
    • the dialling tone
    • the dial tone
    • Please speak after the tone (= for example as an instruction on an answering machine).
  7. one of the five longer intervals in a musical scale, for example the interval between C and D or between E and F♯
    • compare semitone
      https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/semitone
  8. the pitch (= how high or low a sound is) of a syllable in speaking
    • See related entries: Phonetics
      https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/topic/phonetics/tone_2
    • a rising/falling tone
  9. a particular pitch pattern on a syllable in languages such as Chinese, that can be used to distinguish different meanings
    • See related entries: Phonetics
      https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/topic/phonetics/tone_2
  10. having the type of tone mentioned
    • a bright-toned soprano
    • olive-toned skin

    Extra Examples

    • ‘You ought to have thought of them,’ she said in a reproachful tone.
    • Don’t you take that tone with me.
    • Excuse me, I don’t like your tone.
    • He uses humour/humor to lighten the tone of the novel.
    • Her enthusiastic speech set the tone for the day’s conference.
    • Her tone betrayed her impatience.
    • Her tone sounded sincere but I knew she was lying.
    • Her tone was hard to interpret.
    • Her tone was mild, almost conversational.
    • His letter was very negative in tone.
    • His tone changed dramatically when he saw the money.
    • His tone was faintly mocking.
    • I didn’t like his tone of voice; I felt he was being condescending.
    • I keep getting the engaged tone.
    • In cool, clipped tones, he told her what had happened.
    • She answered him in a brisk, matter-of-fact tone.
    • The President struck a defiant tone.
    • The dial tone sounded.
    • The general tone of the report was favourable.
    • The movie has a jokey tone throughout.
    • The music perfectly matches the tone of the movie.
    • The newspaper sets a high moral tone in its editorial about politicians’ private lives.
    • The question was posed in a flat tone.
    • The rising tone of her voice emphasized her panic.
    • There is a marked change of tone in the second half of the book.
    • We heard the dulcet tones of the sergeant, bawling at us to get on parade.
    • What is your natural skin tone?
    • When she heard my accent, she adopted a warmer tone.
    • Why is everyone speaking in hushed tones?
    • You should use a foundation that matches your skin tone.
    • muted tones of brown and green
    • the sweet tone of the flute
    • Dark, rich tones will absorb light to make a room look smaller.
    • Don’t speak to me in that tone of voice.
    • Her hair was lit with copper tones.
    • The rich tone of the oboe is intended to give this piece a sad mood.
    • The tone and volume controls allow you to adjust the sound of the radio.
    • There was a tone of surprise in her voice.
    • They were speaking in hushed tones.
    • Trust you to lower the tone of the conversation!
    • brown tones

    Word Origin

    • Middle English: from Old French ton, from Latin tonus, from Greek tonos ‘tension, tone’, from teinein ‘to stretch’.
Copyright This card's content is collected from the following dictionaries: Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Tags: t

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