What is Tone?
Tone refers to an author’s use of words and writing style to convey their attitude towards a topic.
What the author feels about the subject is often defined as the tone. What the reader feels is known as the mood.
Mood refers to the emotions that a text evokes from the reader. When different craft elements are aligned just so, the writer is capable of evoking different feelings from the audience.
Emotion evoked through mood: The land sat gray and lifeless, unstirred by sun or rain.
Tone and Meaning
Absurd: illogical; ridiculous; silly; implausible; foolish
Accusatory: suggesting someone has done something wrong, complaining
Abrasive: sharp; forthright; biting; hurtful; severe
Admiring: approving; think highly of; respectful; praising
Argumentative: hostile; determined; forceful
Aggrieved: indignant; annoyed; offended; disgruntled
Ambivalent: having mixed feelings; uncertain; in a dilemma; undecided
Amused: entertained; pleased
Angry: incensed or enraged; threatening or menacing
Animated: full of life or excitement; lively; spirited; impassioned; vibrant
Apathetic: showing little interest; lacking concern; indifferent; unemotional
Apologetic: full of regret; repentant; remorseful; acknowledging failure
Appreciative: grateful; thankful; showing pleasure; enthusiastic
Ardent: enthusiastic; passionate
Arrogant: pompous; disdainful; overbearing; condescending; vain; scoffing
Assertive: self-confident; strong-willed; authoritative; insistent
Awestruck: amazed, filled with wonder/awe; reverential
Belligerent: hostile; aggressive; combatant
Benevolent: sympathetic; tolerant; generous; caring; well meaning
Bitter: angry; acrimonious; antagonistic; spiteful; nasty
Callous: cruel disregard; unfeeling; uncaring; indifferent; ruthless
Candid: truthful, straightforward; honest; unreserved
Caustic: making biting, corrosive comments; critical
Cautionary: gives warning; raises awareness; reminding
Celebratory
praising; pay tribute to; glorify; honour
Chatty
informal; lively; conversational; familiar
Colloquial
familiar; everyday language; informal; colloquial; casual
Comic
humorous; witty; entertaining; diverting
Compassionate
sympathetic; empathetic; warm-hearted; tolerant; kind
Complex
having many varying characteristics; complicated
Compliant
agree or obey rules; acquiescent; flexible; submissive
Concerned
worried; anxious; apprehensive
Conciliatory
intended to placate or pacify; appeasing
Condescending
stooping to the level of one’s inferiors; patronising
Confused
unable to think clearly; bewildered; vague
Contemptuous
showing contempt; scornful; insolent; mocking
Critical
finding fault; disapproving; scathing; criticising
Cruel
causing pain and suffering; unkind; spiteful; severe
Curious
wanting to find out more; inquisitive; questioning
Cynical
scornful of motives/virtues of others; mocking; sneering
Defensive
defending a position; shielding; guarding; watchful
Defiant
obstinate; argumentative; defiant; contentious
Demeaning
disrespectful; undignified
Depressing
sad, melancholic; discouraging; pessimistic
Derisive
snide; sarcastic; mocking; dismissive; scornful
Detached
aloof; objective; unfeeling; distant
Dignified
serious; respectful; formal; proper
Diplomatic
tactful; subtle; sensitive; thoughtful
Disapproving
displeased; critical; condemnatory
Disheartening
discouraging; demoralising; undermining; depressing
Disparaging
dismissive; critical; scornful
Direct
straightforward; honest
Disappointed
discouraged; unhappy because something has gone wrong
Dispassionate
impartial; indifferent; unsentimental; cold; unsympathetic
Distressing
heart-breaking; sad; troubling
Docile
compliant; submissive; deferential; accommodating
Earnest
showing deep sincerity or feeling; serious
Egotistical
self-absorbed; selfish; conceited; boastful
Empathetic
understanding; kind; sensitive
Encouraging
optimistic; supportive
Enthusiastic
excited; energetic
Evasive
ambiguous; cryptic; unclear
Excited
emotionally aroused; stirred
Facetious
inappropriate; flippant
Farcical
ludicrous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable
Flippant
superficial; glib; shallow; thoughtless; frivolous
Forceful
powerful; energetic; confident; assertive
Formal
respectful; stilted; factual; following accepted styles/rules
Frank
honest; direct; plain; matter-of-fact
Frustrated
annoyed; discouraged
Gentle
kind; considerate; mild; soft
Ghoulish
delighting in the revolting or the loathsome
Grim
serious; gloomy; depressing; lacking humour;macabre
Gullible
naïve; innocent; ignorant
Hard
unfeeling; hard-hearted; unyielding
Humble
deferential; modest
Humorous
amusing; entertaining; playful
Hypercritical
unreasonably critical; hair splitting; nitpicking
Impartial
unbiased; neutral; objective
Impassioned
filled with emotion; ardent
Imploring
pleading; begging
Impressionable
trusting; child-like
Inane
silly; foolish; stupid; nonsensical
Incensed
enraged
Incredulous
disbelieving; unconvinced; questioning; suspicious
Indignant
annoyed; angry; dissatisfied
Informative
instructive; factual; educational
Inspirational
encouraging; reassuring
Intense
earnest; passionate; concentrated; deeply felt
Intimate
familiar; informal; confidential; confessional
Ironic
the opposite of what is meant
Irreverent
lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously
Jaded
bored; having had too much of the same thing; lack enthusiasm
Joyful
positive; optimistic; cheerful; elated
Judgmental
critical; finding fault; disparaging
Laudatory
praising; recommending
Light-Hearted
carefree; relaxed; chatty; humorous
Loving
affectionate; showing intense, deep concern
Macabre
gruesome; horrifying; frightening
Malicious
desiring to harm others or to see others suffer; ill-willed; spiteful
Mean-Spirited
inconsiderate; unsympathetic
Mocking
scornful; ridiculing; making fun of someone
Mourning
grieving; lamenting; woeful
Naïve
innocent; unsophisticated; immature
Narcissistic
self-admiring; selfish; boastful; self-pitying
Nasty
unpleasant; unkind; disagreeable; abusive
Negative
unhappy, pessimistic
Nostalgic
thinking about the past; wishing for something from the past
Objective
without prejudice; without discrimination; fair; based on fact
Obsequious
overly obedient and/or submissive; fawning; grovelling
Optimistic
hopeful; cheerful
Outraged
angered and resentful; furious; extremely angered
Outspoken
frank; candid; spoken without reserve
Pathetic
expressing pity, sympathy, tenderness
Patronising
condescending; scornful; pompous
Pensive
reflective; introspective; philosophical; contemplative
Persuasive
convincing; eloquent; influential; plausible
Pessimistic
seeing the negative side of things
Philosophical
theoretical; analytical; rational; logical
Playful
full of fun and good spirits; humorous; jesting
Pragmatic
realistic; sensible
Pretentious
affected; artificial; grandiose; rhetorical; flashy
Regretful
apologetic; remorseful
Resentful
aggrieved; offended; displeased; bitter
Resigned
accepting; unhappy
Restrained
controlled; quiet; unemotional
Reverent
showing deep respect and esteem
Righteous
morally right and just; guiltless; pious; god-fearing
Satirical
making fun to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive
Sarcastic
scornful; mocking; ridiculing
Scathing
critical; stinging; unsparing; harsh
Scornful
expressing contempt or derision; scathing; dismissive
Sensationalistic
provocative; inaccurate; distasteful
Sentimental
thinking about feelings, especially when remembering the past
Sincere
honest; truthful; earnest
Sceptical
disbelieving; unconvinced; doubting
Solemn
not funny; in earnest; serious
Subjective
prejudiced; biased
Submissive
compliant; passive; accommodating; obedient
Sulking
bad-tempered; grumpy; resentful; sullen
Sympathetic
compassionate; understanding of how someone feels
Thoughtful
reflective; serious; absorbed
Tolerant
open-minded; charitable; patient; sympathetic; lenient
Tragic
disastrous; calamitous
Unassuming
modest; self-effacing; restrained
Uneasy
worried; uncomfortable; edgy; nervous
Urgent
insistent; saying something must be done soon
Vindictive
vengeful; spiteful; bitter; unforgiving
Virtuous
lawful; righteous; moral; upstanding
Whimsical
quaint; playful; mischievous; offbeat
Witty
clever; quick-witted; entertaining
Wonder
awe-struck; admiring; fascinating
World-Weary
bored; cynical; tired
Worried
anxious; stressed; fearful
Wretched
miserable; despairing; sorrowful; distressed