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155 Words To Describe An Author’s Tone
Writers Write is a comprehensive writing resource. We have defined tone and put together this list of 155 words to help you describe an author’s tone.
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.
[Suggested reading: 140 Words To Describe Mood In Fiction]
Tip: Don’t confuse tone with voice. Voice can be explained as the author’s personality expressed in writing.
- Tone = Attitude.
- Voice = Personality.
Tone (attitude) and voice (personality) create a writing style.
You may not be able to alter your personality but you can adjust your attitude. This gives you ways to create writing that affects your audience’s mood. (Click here for examples of tone in a story.)
The mechanics of tone
Tone is conveyed through diction (choice and use of words and phrases), viewpoint, syntax (grammar; how you put words and phrases together), and level of formality. It is the way you express yourself in speech or writing.
How do you find the correct tone?
You can usually find a tone by asking these three questions:
- Why am I writing this?
- Who is my intended audience?
- What do I want the reader to learn, understand, or think about?
In formal writing, your tone should be clear, concise, confident, and courteous. The writing level should be sophisticated, but not pretentious.
In creative writing, your tone is more subjective, but you should always aim to communicate clearly. Genre sometimes determines the tone.
155 Words To Describe An Author’s Tone
Tone |
Meaning |
| Absurd | illogical; ridiculous; silly; implausible; foolish |
| Accusatory | suggesting someone has done something wrong, complaining |
| Acerbic | sharp; forthright; biting; hurtful; abrasive; severe |
| Admiring | approving; think highly of; respectful; praising |
| Aggressive | hostile; determined; forceful; argumentative |
| Aggrieved | indignant; annoyed; offended; disgruntled |
| Ambivalent | having mixed feelings; uncertain; in a dilemma; undecided |
| Amused | entertained; diverted; 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 |
Helpful Tip: Finding the correct tone is a matter of practice. Try to write for different audiences. Even if you only want to write novels, it is an apprenticeship of sorts. Write press releases. Write opinion pieces. Write interviews. Write copy. Write a business plan.
The more you write, the better you will become at infusing your work with the nuances needed to create the perfect book.
Top Tip: Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop.
© Amanda Patterson
If you enjoyed this article, read:
- 350 Character Traits – A Fabulous Resource For Writers
- The 4 Main Characters As Literary Devices
- 106 Ways To Describe Sounds
- 15 Questions Authors Should Ask Characters
- The 7 Critical Elements Of A Great Book
- 6 Sub-Plots That Add Style To Your Story
- 7 Choices That Affect A Writer’s Style
- Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language
- Punctuation For Beginners
- 9 Literary Terms You Need To Know
Top Tip: Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop.
Posted on: 27th June 2014
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23 thoughts on “155 Words To Describe An Author’s Tone”
Wow you got a good thing going very evolved module for writers thank you
Thanks for all the wonderful tones this really made my class understanding way easier when we write in class. Thanks for your help.
Thank you, Matti. We’re glad this helped.
Thank you for this list! Although I think you misspelled skeptical as sceptical.
No, we spelt it correctly. We use British English in South Africa.
Your explanation is really helpful. Now I can clearly explain the topic to my students. Thanks a lot
Even though philosophers have constantly argued that perfection cannot be reached.This is perfect.
Very helpful , thank you.
May I distribute this list to my 10th grade English students, as long as I give you credit for it?
thanks
Really helpful when looking forward to character sketches!!
Excellent resource! The book my class is using talks about tone and style but without providing a vocabulary. This site and its companion on style are excellent; I’ve recommended them to my classmates.
The topic on tone was amazing.Kindly can you give the same on attitude and mood
How To write a tone analysis essay
Tone refers to the attitude of a writer toward the subject he is writing about. A writer can convey his attitude directly, by stating his opinion, or indirectly, through his choice of vocabulary and stylistic elements. As an essay writer, your job consists of investigating the purpose or significance of the author’s tone.
Regards to this site, it is so fantastic. This list of tone words helps me ever so graciously in my Pre-AP Honors class. Thank you to the genius owner of this site.
this is lit *dab inserted here*
Thank you for the feedback, everyone. We’re happy that you find the list useful.
Thnx fo list very helpful
Thanks for the great info U share daily. I’m a Communication Specialist and these “Toneful” examples are very helpful.
Thank you! I needed to find some good tone words and some good definitions. This is what i was looking for!
Thank you! My students really loved your list! (7/8th graders in San Carlos CA)
Thank you, Inga. We appreciate the feedback.
This was really helpful for my essay! Thanks guys!
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