tenor

/ˈtenə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtenər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈte-nər/ (ame, mw)

tenor — noun

  • tenorsingular
  • tenorsplural

1. a man whose natural singing voice sits in the highest usual adult male range; al

1.名詞B1
釋義

a man whose natural singing voice sits in the highest usual adult male range; also, any musical instrument built to play within that same section of notes

例句

Eleni booked a tenor to sing at her wedding ceremony last spring.

collocation: book a tenor for an event

The choir director asked for one more tenor to balance the four vocal sections.

tenor as a section in a choir

同義詞
  • countertenor

    an even higher male voice that uses a special technique to reach into the alto/female range; rarer and more specialised than tenor

  • baritone

    the male voice range directly below tenor; lower and fuller in sound

反義詞
  • bass

    the lowest male voice range, opposite of tenor in pitch

用法筆記

In choral music, the tenor part sits between the alto (higher female voice) and the baritone (lower male voice). A tenor instrument — such as the tenor saxophone, tenor drum, or tenor trombone — covers a range comparable to the human tenor voice.

常見錯誤

❌The tenor section sang the highest notes in the choir.
✅The soprano section sang the highest notes; the tenor section sang the middle-to-high male part.
💡Tenor is the highest typical male voice, not the highest voice overall (soprano is).

2. the overall direction, basic character, or essential meaning that runs through a

2.名詞B2
釋義

the overall direction, basic character, or essential meaning that runs through a piece of writing, a speech, or a conversation

例句

The general tenor of the meeting was one of cautious optimism about the budget.

the general tenor of [something] + complement

Ilan understood the tenor of the letter even before reading the final paragraph.

同義詞
  • gist

    more informal and shorter; refers specifically to the core point rather than the overall character

  • drift

    slightly informal; suggests the direction or tendency of the argument

  • thrust

    emphasises the main point or central message, especially in an argument

文法句型

the tenor of [something]

用法筆記

This sense is almost always used with the definite article ("the tenor of…") and is often preceded by an adjective such as general, overall, angry, optimistic, or cautious. It refers to the impression the whole text or event gives, not a single detail.

常見錯誤

❌The tenor of his speech was about the economy.
✅The overall message of his speech was about the economy.
💡Use 'tenor' for the mood or character of something, not the topic itself.
❌He spoke in a friendly tenor.
✅He spoke in a friendly tone.
💡For vocal quality or manner of speaking, use 'tone'; 'tenor' refers to the general meaning or direction of what is said.

tenor — adjective