tone
/təʊn/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈon] /toʊn/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈon] /ˈtōn/ (ame, mw) · [tˈon] /təʊn/ (ame, ipa)
tone — verb
- tonepresent simple I / you / we / they
- tones3rd person singular
- toning-ing form
- tonedpast simple
1. To make a specific area of the body tighter and more defined by doing regular ph
To make a specific area of the body tighter and more defined by doing regular physical activities such as lifting weights, doing yoga, or running.
Linh tones her arms by lifting small weights three times a week.
collocation: tone + body part (arms)
Regular yoga sessions helped Padma tone her stomach muscles.
The personal trainer showed Christopher exercises to tone his legs and back.
David's new workout plan is designed to tone his entire upper body.
Tara noticed that swimming every morning toned her shoulders and arms.
- firm
more general, can refer to skin as well as muscles
- strengthen
emphasises power gain rather than visible definition
- sculpt
more informal, suggests shaping the body's appearance
- soften
lose firmness; the opposite effect on muscles
文法句型
tone + body part
tone + up + body part
用法筆記
Object is always a body part or area of the body. Frequently used with 'up': 'tone up your legs.' The noun form 'toning' is common in fitness contexts ('arm toning exercises').
常見錯誤
tone — noun
- tonesingular
- tonesplural
1. The way a person's voice reveals their feelings or attitude, especially about th
The way a person's voice reveals their feelings or attitude, especially about the person they are talking to.
Mira's tone when she spoke to the waiter was sharp and quite rude.
tone + possessive + adjective showing attitude
You could tell from his tone that Christopher was not interested in the plan.
from [possessive] tone
The manager's tone softened when she realized how upset her employee was.
Salma tried to keep her tone light and friendly despite her frustration.
Élise's tone of voice made it obvious that the discussion had come to an end.
- manner
broader — covers behaviour and expression, not just voice
- delivery
more specific to how words are spoken
- inflection
technical term for changes in pitch, not general attitude
文法句型
tone + of + noun phrase
possessive + tone
adjective + tone
用法筆記
Often used with adjectives describing the emotional quality (sharp, gentle, angry, calm, sarcastic). The possessive form (his tone, her tone) is very common.
常見錯誤
2. How a person's voice sounds to the ear — for instance, whether it is deep, soft,
How a person's voice sounds to the ear — for instance, whether it is deep, soft, warm, or rough.
Daichi has a deep, rich tone that makes him stand out as a speaker.
adjective + tone describing vocal quality
The nurse's calm tone helped settle the frightened child in the waiting room.
Valentina's voice has a warm and friendly tone that children naturally trust.
As Christopher grew older, the tone of his voice became rougher and quieter.
Ada has such a soft tone that people in the back cannot hear her clearly.
文法句型
adjective + tone
tone of + [possessive] + voice
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 describes the physical or acoustic quality of the voice (deep, soft, rough), while sense 1 describes the emotional attitude (angry, sarcastic, warm). A deep tone (sense 2) can be used in an angry tone (sense 1).
常見錯誤
3. The use of different voice pitches on individual syllables or words to tell sepa
The use of different voice pitches on individual syllables or words to tell separate meanings apart — for example, saying ma on a flat pitch versus a rising pitch gives different words in Mandarin.
In Mandarin Chinese, the tone of the syllable ma can change its entire meaning.
tone changes meaning in tonal languages
Folake struggled with the rising tone needed at the end of questions in Cantonese.
Linguists compare how tone patterns in Thai differ from those in Vietnamese.
A falling tone can turn a simple statement into a command in some languages.
The student practiced the four tones of Mandarin every morning before class.
- pitch
the actual highness/lowness of a sound; tone is the meaningful pattern of pitch changes
- intonation
pitch patterns across a phrase/sentence; broader than lexical tone
文法句型
the + adjective + tone
tone + of + language
verb + tone
用法筆記
Commonly used with the adjectives 'rising', 'falling', 'flat', and 'contour'. In tonal languages, each syllable carries a specific tone that distinguishes words from one another.
常見錯誤
4. The overall mood, character, or atmosphere that a text, speech, conversation, me
The overall mood, character, or atmosphere that a text, speech, conversation, meeting, or other situation conveys.
The tone of the meeting changed when the manager announced the budget cuts.
tone of + [event/situation]
Her letter had a grateful and warm tone that touched everyone who read it.
Eliska set a serious tone for the presentation by starting with the bad news.
The opening music gave the ceremony a hopeful and uplifting tone throughout.
The tone of the conversation stayed relaxed until someone brought up politics.
- mood
more emotional/affective; tone includes attitude and character, not just feeling
- atmosphere
refers to the surrounding feeling; more ambient than tone
- character
describes the overall nature; tone is more specific to expressive quality
文法句型
the tone of + noun
set the tone
adjective + tone
用法筆記
Frequently used in the fixed phrase 'set the tone' meaning to establish the general mood at the start of something. Also common with 'the tone of' followed by a noun (meeting, speech, article, book).
常見錯誤
5. A particular shade, tint, or variation of a colour, ranging from lighter to dark
A particular shade, tint, or variation of a colour, ranging from lighter to darker versions of that colour.
The living room was painted in a warm tone of yellow that felt like sunshine.
a [warm/cool] tone of [colour]
Indra chose a cooler tone of blue for the bedroom to make it feel calm.
This lipstick has a pink tone that looks good on most skin colours.
Ari adjusted the colour tone on the photo to make it look warmer and richer.
The artist mixed different tones of green to paint the forest scene accurately.
文法句型
adjective + tone + of + colour
a + adjective + tone
6. The healthy firmness and tightness of a person's body, especially their muscles
The healthy firmness and tightness of a person's body, especially their muscles and skin.
Regular swimming helps maintain good muscle tone without stressing the joints.
muscle tone
After the accident, Gita did months of physiotherapy to regain tone in her leg.
The fitness instructor noticed that her arms had lost tone after she stopped lifting weights.
Yoga is excellent for improving both flexibility and overall body tone.
The doctor checked the tone of the patient's muscles after the long surgery.
- flabbiness
lack of firmness in muscles
文法句型
possessive + tone
adjective + tone
verb + tone
用法筆記
Uncountable — you cannot say 'a tone' or 'two tones' in this sense. Use 'muscle tone' or 'body tone'. Common collocations: 'build tone', 'lose tone', 'regain tone', 'improve tone'.
常見錯誤
7. In Western music, a tone is the standard unit for measuring the pitch gap betwee
In Western music, a tone is the standard unit for measuring the pitch gap between two adjacent notes on a scale, equal in width to two semitones.
Rohan practiced the C major scale on the piano, moving up one tone at a time.
collocation: whole tone / half tone
A whole tone is the distance in pitch between the notes C and D on a standard keyboard.
During her lesson, Élise learned to tell the difference between a tone and a semitone by ear.
Mateo found it easier to sing scales built from whole tones than from semitones.
Jisoo discovered that the gap from E to F sharp on the guitar equals exactly one tone.
- whole tone
more common term for this specific interval in British English
- whole step
North American equivalent; used interchangeably in music education
- semitone
half the width of a tone; the smallest interval in Western music
用法筆記
In music theory, one tone equals two semitones. This is the standard interval in Western classical and popular music for building major scales.
常見錯誤
8. The particular character or colour of a sound produced by a voice or a musical i
The particular character or colour of a sound produced by a voice or a musical instrument, determined by factors such as warmth, brightness, or richness rather than by pitch or loudness.
The old violin has a warm, sweet tone that fills the entire concert hall.
collocation: warm tone / sweet tone
Stephanie adjusted the equaliser on her speakers to improve the tone of the music.
Nia loved the bright, clear tone of the new flute her grandmother gave her.
The tone of an acoustic guitar sounds much richer than that of a cheap electric one.
Wren could recognise the instrument just from its unique tone before seeing it on stage.
- timbre
the technical musical term for the quality that distinguishes one instrument from another
- sound quality
more general phrase describing how something sounds to the listener
用法筆記
Describes the character of a sound, not its pitch or volume. Frequently modified by adjectives of quality such as warm, bright, rich, mellow, or harsh.
常見錯誤
9. A steady or repeating sound produced by a telephone network to indicate the stat
A steady or repeating sound produced by a telephone network to indicate the status of a call, such as whether the line is ready, ringing, or already in use.
Yan picked up the phone and heard the dial tone before calling his mother.
collocation: dial tone
After Pim dialled the number, a ringing tone told her the call was going through.
collocation: ringing tone
Heloísa put the phone down when the busy tone started, meaning the line was in use.
If you hear a repeated short tone on the phone, your call did not connect properly.
Hassan waited for the dial tone before he typed in the international code for Japan.
- dial tone
the specific tone indicating the line is ready for dialling
- ringing tone
the specific tone indicating the call is going through
- busy tone
the specific tone indicating the line is occupied
用法筆記
British English uses engaged tone where American English uses busy tone. Dial tone is universal for the sound that tells you to start dialling.