monotone
/ˈmɒnətəʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɑːnətəʊn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmä-nə-ˌtōn/ (ame, mw)
monotone — noun
1. a voice or sound that keeps almost the same pitch all the way through, often mak
a voice or sound that keeps almost the same pitch all the way through, often making it seem dull or without feeling
The history teacher spoke in a monotone, and several students began to yawn.
pattern: speak in a monotone
Quan read the weather report in a dry monotone that sounded almost robotic.
During the late train ride, the announcer's monotone made every stop sound the same.
Maeve answered every question in a monotone, even after the team won.
- drone
Usually suggests a longer, lower, and more irritating dull sound.
- flat delivery
Focuses on weak expression in speaking, especially in speeches or acting.
- deadpan
Often describes an intentionally emotionless speaking style, especially for humor.
- intonation
Refers to a voice pattern that rises and falls instead of staying level.
- lilt
Suggests a light, pleasant rise and fall in the voice.
文法句型
speak in a monotone
read in a monotone
用法筆記
Usually follows the preposition 'in', especially with verbs like speak, read, answer, or sing. It often suggests that the speaker sounds tired, bored, or emotionally distant.
常見錯誤
monotone — adjective
- monotonepositive
- more monotonecomparative
- most monotonesuperlative
1. describing speech, singing, or another sound that stays at nearly one pitch inst
describing speech, singing, or another sound that stays at nearly one pitch instead of rising and falling
Bilal gave the safety talk in a monotone voice that soon bored everyone.
collocation: monotone voice
After the night shift, Sora's replies sounded monotone and unusually slow.
pattern: sound monotone
The actor's monotone delivery made the joke fall flat on stage.
Jenna's chant stayed monotone from start to finish, without any rise in pitch.
- flat
Broader and can also mean lacking energy or emotion, not only lacking pitch change.
- expressionless
Focuses on missing feeling, whether in a voice or a face.
- robotic
Adds a machine-like quality, not just an unchanging pitch.
- expressive
Describes speech that clearly shows feeling and natural pitch movement.
- animated
Suggests lively speech with energy and variation.
- modulated
Emphasizes controlled changes in pitch or tone.
文法句型
monotone voice / delivery / chant
be / sound / stay monotone
用法筆記
Mostly used for voices, speech, chants, or delivery. For work, travel, or daily life that feels boring because it repeats, English more often uses monotonous than monotone.
常見錯誤
2. showing only one color, or almost no change in color, across the whole surface
showing only one color, or almost no change in color, across the whole surface
The designer chose a monotone poster so the red logo would stand out.
monotone used for a one-color design
Eshe wore a monotone outfit in soft beige from head to toe.
The hotel lobby looked calm because the walls had a monotone finish in cream.
Paloma preferred a monotone background for the website's product photos.
- single-color
A plain descriptive term for something made with only one color.
- uniform
Broader and can describe texture or style as well as color.
- monochrome
Often used in art or photography, especially when the whole image stays within one color range.
- multicolored
Shows several clearly different colors.
- patterned
Suggests repeated shapes or color changes across the surface.
文法句型
monotone poster / outfit / background
be monotone in color
用法筆記
Most often appears in design, fashion, or printing contexts. It describes something that stays in one shade or color family, unlike patterned or multicolored designs.