1
: vocal or musical sound of a specific quality
spoke in low tones
masculine tones
especially
: musical sound with respect to timbre and manner of expression
2
a
: a sound of definite pitch and vibration
b
3
: accent or inflection expressive of a mood or emotion
4
: style or manner of expression in speaking or writing
seemed wise to adopt a conciliatory tone
5
: a particular pitch or change of pitch constituting an element in the intonation of a phrase or sentence
high tone
low tone
mid tone
low-rising tone
falling tone
6
: the pitch of a word often used to express differences of meaning
7
a(1)
: color quality or value
(2)
: a tint or shade of color
b
: the color that appreciably modifies a hue or white or black
gray walls of greenish tone
8
: the effect in painting of light and shade together with color
9
a
: normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli
specifically
: the state of partial contraction of skeletal muscle at rest : muscular tonus
b
: strength, firmness, or tautness of a part of the body (such as the muscles or skin)
exercising to improve muscle tone
the shape and tone of the arms
c
: the state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor
10
a
: general character, quality, or trend
a city's upbeat tone
b
: frame of mind : mood
c
: healthy elasticity : resiliency
toned; toning
1
: to soften or reduce in intensity, color, appearance, or sound : mellow
—often used with down
tone down the bright colors
The candidate toned down his harsh rhetoric.
2
: to impart tone to : strengthen
medicine to tone up the system
especially
: to increase the firmness, strength, or tautness of (a part of the body)
She lifted weights to tone her arms.
3
: to change the normal silver image of (something, such as a photographic print) into a colored image
4
: to give a particular intonation or inflection to
5
: intone
Synonyms
Examples of tone in a Sentence
Noun
He replied in a friendly tone.
They spoke in hushed tones.
Don't use that rude tone of voice with me.
the low tones of an organ
The speech had religious tones to it.
The author's tone shows her attitude toward the subject.
The professor's condescending tone irritated some students.
a bright, dark, or light tone of blue
the soft tones of the painting
Recent Examples on the Web
Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
With a face shrouded in mesh, a female vocalist sings in an eerie tone.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tone 
Noun
The result is Kilt Carter, a triumphant record that connects the mournful tones of the Scottish Highlands with Beyoncé’s love for the exotic musical traditions of nations around the world and their streaming services.
—Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
With a face shrouded in mesh, a female vocalist sings in an eerie tone.
—Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tone
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tone
Cite this Entry
“Tone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tone. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tone
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a musical sound having a definite pitch : the sound of a note
b
2
: accent or pitch of the voice especially when used to express an emotion or a change in meaning
spoke in a sharp tone
3
: style or manner of expression
reply in a friendly tone
the author's tone shows his or her attitude toward the subject
4
a
: a shade of color
decorated in soft tones
b
: a color that changes another
gray with a blue tone
5
a
: a healthy state of the body or any of its parts
b
: normal tension or ability to respond to stimuli
especially
: the state of normal tension of a muscle in which it is partly contracted
6
: general character or quality
the city's upbeat tone
tone
2 of 2 verb
toned; toning
1
: to give tone to : strengthen
vitamins to tone up the system
2
: to soften in color, appearance, or sound
—often used with down
Etymology
Noun
Middle English tone "a musical sound, a sound from the voice," from Latin tonus "tension, tone, pitch," from Greek tonos "act of stretching, tension, tone, pitch"; so called because the pitch of the tone of a stringed musical instrument is related to how tightly the strings are stretched
Medical Definition
tone
1 of 2 noun1
: a sound of definite pitch and vibration
2
a
: the state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor
b
: normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli
specifically
: tonus sense 2
tone
2 of 2 transitive verb
toned; toning
: to impart tone to
tone the muscles
Biographical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share