tone words

Tone is identified 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.

Atmosphere:  the feeling experience BY THE READER OR AUDIENCE.

Tone:              the attitude OF THE AUTHOR toward the subject matter of the work.

Mood:  defined by some critics as synonymous with “atmosphere,” by others as synonymous with
                        “tone”…as a general term, it can be applied to either.

                                                -from the Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms

Here is a list of words you may consider using to describe tone.  

PLEASE NOTE: There are many, many more choices where these came from.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE: This list isn't for you to memorize or worry about.  It is a resource for you to use so that you can capture the essence of what you read and communicate effectively with your audience.  If you see a word you don't know-- and you will-- please look it up.  Plan on adding 5-10 words to your vocabulary so that you can use them in your essays next week.

abashed
abhorring

abrasive

abusive

accusatory
acerbic

acquiescent

accepting

acerbic
admiring
adoring
affectionate

aghast
agitated

aggressive

allusive

aloof

ambiguous
ambivalent
amused

angry
annoyed
antagonistic
anxious
apathetic
apologetic

appreciative
apprehensive
approving

ardent

arrogant

audacious
authoritarian

awestruck

baffled

bantering

begrudging

belligerent
bemused
benevolent
bewildered
biting
bitter
blithe
blunt

boastful

bored
bossy
brisk

bristling
brusque
burlesque

callous

calm
candid

caressing
casual
caustic

cavalier

celebratory

ceremonial
challenging

cheerful

childish

child-like
choleric

clandestine
clinical

clipped

cold
colloquial
comforting
comic
commanding
compassionate
complacent

complex
complicated
complimentary
conceited
concerned

conciliatory
condemning

condescending
confident
confused

contemplative
contemptuous
contented
contentious

conventional
conversational

coy
critical

curt

cutting
cynical

defamatory

defensive

dejected

delicate
delightful
demanding

denunciatory
depressed
depressing
derisive
derogatory
desolate
despairing
desperate

despondent
detached
diabolic
didactic

difficult
diffident
dignified

direct
disappointed

disdainful

disgusted

disinterested
disliking

disparaging
disrespectful

distracted
doubtful
dramatic

dreamy

dreary

dry
earnest
easy
ebullient
ecstatic
effusive
elated
elegiac
elevated
eloquent
embarrassed
embittered

emotional
empathetic
encouraging
enraged

enthusiastic

entranced

erudite
eulogistic
euphoric
evasive
exasperated

excited
exhilarated
expectant

expert
extravagant

exultant

facetious
factual
familiar
fanciful

fatalistic
fearful
fervent
flippant
forceful
foreboding

formal
forthright
frantic
friendly
frightened

frivolous
funny
furious
ghoulish

giddy
gleeful
gloomy

glum
grand
grave
greedy
grim

grotesque

guarded

guilty
gushy
happy
harsh

hateful
haughty
hilarious
holier-than-thou
hollow

hopeful
hopeless

horrified
hostile
humorous

hurt

hyperbolic
impartial
impassive

impatient

impervious
incisive
incredulous
indifferent
indignant
indirect

indulgent
inflammatory
informal
informative

innocent

insecure
insipid

insistent
insolent

inspirational

inspiring

instructive

insulting
interested
intimate

intolerant
introspective
irate

ironic
irreverent

irritated

jealous
jocund
jovial
joyful
joyous

judgmental
laidback

languid

languorous
laudatory
learned
lethargic
light (light-hearted)

lingering
lively
lofty

loving
ludicrous
lugubrious
lyrical

malicious

marveling

matter-of-fact
meditative
melancholic
mirthful
mischievous
miserable
mock-heroic

mocking

moderate
modest
moralistic

morose

motivated
mournful
mysterious

naîve
nervous

nonchalant

noncommittal
nostalgic
objective

obsequious
ominous
optimistic

oratorical
outraged
outspoken
paranoid
passionate

passive
pathetic
patronizing
pedantic
pensive
perplexed

pessimistic
petty

pithy
pitiful

placid

plaintive
playful

pleading
poignant

pompous
powerful

pragmatic
pretentious
proud
provocative

psychotic

querulous
questioning

quizzical

rallying
reassuring
rebellious

reflective
regretful

relaxed

reminiscent
remorseful

reproachful

resigned
respectful
restrained

reticent

retrospective
reverent

ribald
ridiculous
risible
romantic

rueful
sad

sanctimonious
sanguine
sarcastic
sardonic
satirical

satisfied

scared
scholarly
scornful
seductive

self-assured

self-dramatizing
self-deprecating
selfish

self-justifying

self-mocking

self-pitying

self-satisfied
sentimental
sepulchral
serene
serious
severe

sharp
shocking

silly
simple

sincere
sinister
skeptical
sly

smug
solemn
somber

soothing
speculative
sprightly
stable

staid
stately
stern
stoic

stolid
straightforward

stentorian
stressful
strident

stunned
subdued

superior
suspenseful
suspicious

swaggering

sweet
sympathetic

tactful
taunting

tender
tense
terse
thoughtful
threatening
timorous

tired

tongue-in-cheek

touchy
tragic
tranquil

trenchant
trivial

turgid

unambiguous
uncaring
uncertain
unconcerned
understated
uneasy
unfriendly
unhappy
unsympathetic
upset
urgent
venerative

vexed

vibrant
violent
vitriolic

wary
whimsical
wistful

withering
worried
worshipful

wrathful
wry
zealous