Tone Words- English List (Ms. Abbott)

Sympathetic

*compassionate*, *caring*, *concerned, supportive*; warm; thoughtful; considerate and *encouraging* Person will feel compassion for your misfortune: so let's say your beloved pet just died, a sympathetic person would *support* you and try to help you feel better and they too would feel bad that you lost your pet.

Boring

*dull*, *monotonous*, *uninteresting*, bland, lifeless, unexciting

Giddy

*feel excited to the point of disorientation*; impulsive; whimsical; *giggly and flighty*; highly excited (similar to frivolous)

Vibrant

*full of energy* and *enthusiasm* Synonyms: *lively*, *animated*, spirited, *energetic*, radiant, dynamic, sparkling, stimulating, fiery, vivacious Look at the picture: It's full of color and it looks very excited and "enthusiastic"; there's lots of energy in the picture

Somber

*gloomy*, depressing, or *dismal*; *DARK*; extremely serious; grave

Proud

*having or showing a high or excessively *high opinion of oneself* or one's importance; characterized by *pride* and *arrogance* (not to be confused with condescending, because that requires arrogance from superiority over others meanwhile this tone is characterized by *pride* and arrogance, having nothing/ not much to do with superiority)

Complimentary

*having the nature of*, conveying, or expressing a *compliment*, often one that is *politely flattering*.

Joking

*humorous*; causing amusement; not taken seriously/not meant to be taken seriously root word: *"Joke"*

Vexed

*irritated; annoyed*; agitated; frustrated (Think of when you can't figure out a math problem, no matter how hard you try, and when you check the answer, your answer is never right. Isn't it frustrating and irritating?)

Mocking

*making fun* of someone or something in a *cruel way*; *ridicule* or contempt; *derisive*; deride; To mimic, as in sport or derision (There's the mockingbird)

Objective

*not influenced by personal feelings* or opinions; considering and representing *facts.* Synonyms: *unbiased*, rational, *neutral*; dispassionate (unemotional, or indifferent/apathetic)

Fanciful

*over-imaginative and unrealistic*; whimsical (For some reason this word reminds me of a Princess or something. I don't know if it will help you but I guess you could relate it to a Princess living in a far away kingdom and dragons and knights and cyclopes and other mythical creatures in a *fairy tale*)

Sweet

*pleasing* or agreeable; *delightful*; pleasant or *nice* Synonyms: lovely, satisfying, tender; beloved; *appealing*; *kind* and friendly

Apologetic

*regretfully acknowledging* or excusing an offense or failure. "she was very apologetic about the whole incident" BASICALLY: Seeming very *regretful or remorseful*, marked by repetition of "I apologize" or *"I'm sorry."*

Urgent

*requiring immediate action or attention*; dire; an emergency-situation; imperative; pressing; insistent

Horrific

*shocked*, facing *horror*; fearful and terrible; *dreadful* (in a more shocking way than depressing); *awful* and even *frightening* I mean just think of scary games/ horror movies and it's practically the same thing. Horrific would be as if you just watched someone get gutted and their intestines and organs and mushed up and pulled out from their body. (sorry for that disturbing image) Just think of it mostly as *"shockingly really really bad,"* Like it's SO BAD that its SHOCKING.

Contemptuous

*showing contempt*; scornful; *believing a person is deserving of scorn*; believing someone is *worthless or despicable* For example, if you were a teacher and saw one of your students cheating on a test. Or if you saw a someone vandalizing property.

Dreamy

*soothing*; restful and *relaxing* ; *quieting*; pleasant and peaceful Even though it's the tone definition, you can still associate it with when you're sleeping and having dreams: you're in a relaxed state. Even think about those music-machines to help people fall asleep, they're "soothing sounds." In this case, the person's tone of voice would be *soothing*, calm, or *causing relaxation.*

Seductive

*tempting; enticing*; persuasive; provocative; *alluring*

Candid

*truthful*; *straightforward*; frank; *honest*; open and sincere; *outspoken*; free from disguise or subterfuge

Confused

*unable to think clearly*; bewildered.

Upset

*unhappy, disappointed*, or worried; mentally irritated or disturbed Synonyms: *distressed, troubled, perturbed,* unsettled, dissatisfied, bothered, flustered

Benevolent

*well meaning and kindly*; *charitable*; characterized by doing good deeds (out of "the goodness of his/her heart") Helpful Hint: Latin root "bene" means *"good."*

Hollow

a feeling of *emptiness*; depression; *sunken*; meaningless; You could even take the literal definition and apply it here: When something is hollow, *it is empty or has a hole inside*; it *isn't solid.* Same thing here: The tone just sounds a bit empty, and sunken in. (Like this hollow tree)

Nostalgic

a sentimental or wistful *yearning for the happiness felt in a former place, time, or situation.* {Not to be confused with "reminiscent" because reminiscent is purely remembering something, meanwhile this is remembering something with *FEELINGS* (usually longing) *attached* to it.}

Shocking

characterized by *intense surprise*, and causing disgust, horror, etc. (Often used in *negative* context) causing surprise and dismay

Restrained

characterized by *reserve* or moderation; *kept under control*; *confine or hold back* (feelings/behavior) Think of having your arms and legs *chained* to a wall, or wearing a *ball and chain* around your leg. You can't really go anywhere can you? Same concept.

Didactic

eager to *teach* or *give instruction*, particularly in having moral *instruction* as an ulterior motive Literally *instructive*/ wants to lead/teach/*educate*. (often used negatively) Usually trying to teach something in a way that is *unwanted or annoying.*

Sentimental

excessively *prone to feelings of tenderness*, sadness; *weakly emotional*; mawkishly susceptible or tender

Happy

feeling or showing *pleasure* or *contentment*. Synonyms: joyful, *jovial*, *radiant/sunny*, jolly, merry, *cheerful*, untroubled; (Not to be confused with "giddy", because giddy is more giggly and overly excited, meanwhile this is more of just having a *pleasant* attitude.) I found this example on dictionary.com that has Melissa's name in it so I put it here :) "Melissa came in looking happy and excited"

Sad

feeling or showing *sorrow*; *unhappy* Synonyms: sorrowful, dejected, *depressed*, glum, *gloomy*, dismal, doleful, melancholy, miserable, etc.

Peaceful

free from disturbance; *tranquil*

Angry

having a strong feeling of or *showing annoyance, displeasure, or hostility*. Synonyms: mad, upset, disturbed, *wrathful*, *enraged*, outraged, resentful, furious, *heated*, etc.

Silly

having or showing a *lack of common sense* or judgment; *absurd* and *foolish*; weak-minded or lacking good sense; *irrational*

Poignant

keenly *distressing to the feelings*; *strongly affects emotions*; strong in mental appeal/ moving the emotions (usually sad emotions) (similar to pitiful) Example: "It was a poignant portrayal of the effects of a war that touched every aspect of society" It also means a very STRONG/pungent smell. You can associate this with the word, because of the *STRONG appeal to emotion.*

Sarcastic

marked by or given to using *irony* in order to *mock or convey contempt* (VERY similar to *satire*)

Detached

particularly *separated or disconnected*; disinterested; dispassionate; *uninvolved*

Condescending

showing or characterized by a *patronizing* or *superior* attitude toward others; *arrogant*, patronizing, superior. Example: A 10-year old says to his 6-year old sibling, "You're only 6, you know nothing!" or *"Well, I'm older, so I'm in charge of you."*

Childish

similar to a *child*; silly; *immature*; puerile; weak

Lugubrious

sounding *sad or dismal*; mournful or *gloomy*; melancholy or dreary: (all these) in an *exaggerated way.* Imagine a *dark and rainy cloud* over someone's head all the time. (Like *Eeyore*). Examples: "After his wife left him, he walked around in a lugubrious condition for months" "Surrounded by dark clouds, the isolated barn made perfect inspiration for the poet's lugubrious poem"

Humorous

*comical*; *causing amusement and laughter*; having/showing a sense of humor; facetious

Sharp

(of tone): *harsh or biting*; *fierce*, impetuous; violent Example: " 'You've known, and you didn't tell me?!' she said sharply." Imagine: a person with a sharp tone of voice is almost *stabbing a person with their words*. So, a sharp tone would be the opposite of a soft, soothing, dreamy tone.

Dramatic

(of tone): sudden and *extreme*; greatly affecting people's emotions; *attracting attention* : causing people to carefully listen, look, etc. *striking or exaggerated*; highly emotional, even over little things

Irrelevant

* not connected with* or relevant to something; *extraneous* Just imagine having a conversation about doughnuts and then *out of nowhere* somebody suddenly brings up the topic of toilets. It is *unrelated* to the topic of doughnuts. As a tone word, it's practically the same thing, except it's shown in their attitude.

Joyful

*GREAT pleasure* or happiness; *bubbly*; exuberant; lighthearted; *sunny*; cheery; merry; (like *a step above* the definition of "happy")

Allusive

*Working by suggestion* rather than explicit mention. BASICALLY: What some may call *"beating around the bush,"* the tone would seem as if the person is *hinting* at something or trying to indirectly convey a message, *rather than saying something directly.*

Bitter

*angry, hurt, or resentful* because of one's bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment. Synonyms: *sour* (attitude), *resentful*, fierce, *hateful*

Zealous

*ardently active*, devoted, or diligent; *intense passion* or spirit Synonyms: enthusiastic, eager, *fervid, fervent*, intense, passionate, *devoted*/devout; *fanatical* (Think of a fire! How lively, active and hot it is!)

Pitiful

*arousing the feeling of pity* ; arousing compassion; arousing the feeling of being sorry for someone/something Not to be confused with "pity" itself, which is the FEELING of having compassion or feeling sorry for someone. Pitiful is *AROUSING these feelings*: *if you are pitiful, you make others feel sorry for YOU.* Synonyms: pathetic, sad; miserable; meager; distressing

Frivolous

*carefree and not serious*; *lack of seriousness* or sense; *lightness of mind*/character Synonyms: *playful*, *foolish*, frolicsome, perky, irresponsible, thoughtless, *empty-headed.* Almost inappropriately silly; Example: (tone): "I would help you with that, but I'm busy overcooking my pasta" (usage): "The poker player was frivolous with his money and gambled it all away"

Provocative

*causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction*, especially deliberately; *inciting, stimulating*, irritating, or vexing. Basically just *inciting emotion*, usually *negative* emotions.

Tired

1.*exhausted*, as by exertion or *fatigued*/sleepy: characterized by these. 2.*bored or weary* (with/of)

Audacious

1.*extremely bold or daring*; *recklessly brave*; fearless; lively; *unrestrained*; uninhibited; showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks. 2.showing an impudent lack of respect

Afraid

Feeling *fear* or *anxiety* ; *frightened* ; scared.