175 Tone Words: The Ultimate List To Describe Author's Tone

As a writer, you know how important it is to choose the right word for the meaning you’re trying to convey.

And part of that is knowing what tone words are and which one to use in a particular context.

The wrong one is like an errant note in an otherwise flawless performance. Even if it has the same dictionary definition, it just doesn’t sound right.

But where do you go to find the words with just the right tone and cadence to make the sentence flow as it should?

Welcome to our ultimate list of tone words.

What’s In This Article:

175 Words to Describe Tone for Authors

Any tone words list (worth the time it takes to make it) should provide the fuller meaning of each word — i.e., not just the denotation (dictionary definition) but it’s connotations, too.

For this tone words list, you’ll see each word explained with a short definition or with synonyms that have the same general tone.

All you have to do is open a thesaurus to find synonyms for a particular word to realize that some of those words do NOT have the tone you’re looking for. Some are obviously negative. Some are positive. And the rest are more or less neutral.

The tone word you need for the moment is the one that evokes the right emotions and that allows your sentence to flow without speed bumps.

Positive Tone Words

Positive tone words are those that evoke positive emotions.

If you hear a person described in words with a positive tone, you’re more likely to think favorably of them, even before you’ve met.

Adoring — loving ardently; worshipping; venerating
Amused — entertained or diverted; pleased
Animated — lively; full of excitement or enthusiasm; vibrant; spirited; impassioned
Appreciative — grateful or thankful; showing gratitude, approval, or pleasure
Assertive — sure of oneself; brave or fearless; self-confident; authoritative
Ardent — passionate; enthusiastic; fervent; zealous
Benevolent — kind; generous; compassionate; tolerant; well meaning
Blithe — in good spirits; of a sunny disposition; happy; cheerful
Bold — audacious or daring; assertive; fearless or seeming to be fearless
Calm — serene or tranquil; unruffled or unshaken; placid
Candid — honest or truthful; straightforward; unreserved
Celebratory — paying tribute to; glorifying; praising or honoring; making merry
Cheerful / cheery — positive or uplifting; optimistic; salutary;
Comforting — consoling; healing; warming or calming; soothing
Comic — funny/humorous; amusing or entertaining; diverting
Compassionate — empathetic or sympathetic; nonjudgmental; quick to forgive
Contented — wanting for nothing; grateful; accepting
Curious — inquisitive or questioning; wanting to know more
Direct — straightforward; blunt; lacking in hesitation
Earnest — serious; wholehearted; sincere or showing deep sincerity or feeling
Ebullient — high-spirited; brimming with enthusiasm or excitement; exuberant
Elated — joyful or jubilant; in high spirits; happy or proud
Elevated — exalted; lofty; honored
Eloquent — beauty or fluidity of expression;
Empathetic — showing empathy; feeling the emotions of others
Enchant — cast a spell over; entrance; bewitch
Endearing — inspiring warmth or affection
Enthusiastic — excited; energetic; optimistic; bubbling over
Exhilarated — invigorated; enlivened or feeling alive; stimulated; made cheerful
Forthright — straight to the point; frank; outspoken; unambiguous; direct
Gentle — kind; considerate; tender; soft; not severe; gradual; moderate
Hilarious — amusing; uproariously funny; ridiculous or laughable
Inspirational — motivating; energizing; reassuring; instilling hope; catalyzing
Intimate — familiar; confidential; confessional; private
Joyful — filled with gratitude; elated or exuberant; supremely happy
Laudatory — praising; extolling; recommending
Learned — educated; knowledgeable; erudite; involved in the pursuit of knowledge
Lighthearted — positive; carefree; relaxed; optimistic; in good spirits
Lively — full of life; energetic; vigorous; animated; spirited; sprightly; vivacious
Lofty — exalted in rank; elevated in tone, style, or sentiment
Loving — affectionate; showing deep concern or solicitude for someone
Modest — free from ostentation; unpretentious; showing humility
Objective — without prejudice; fair; basing judgment on facts rather than feelings
Optimistic — hopeful; cheerful; expecting good; disposed to taking a favorable view
Powerful — potent; efficacious; having or exerting great power; forceful
Reassuring — restoring hope, security, or confidence
Reflective — given to reflection, meditation, or contemplation; thoughtful
Relaxed — calm; free or relieved of tension, trouble, or anxiety
Respectful — full of or showing politeness, sympathy, or deference
Reverent — showing deep respect; holding someone or something in high esteem
Righteous — morally right or justifiable; pious; guiltless; upright
Romantic — imbued with idealism; preoccupied with love, adventure, justice, etc.
Sanguine — hopeful; cheerfully optimistic; confident of a good outcome
Scholarly — learned; educated; committed to furthering one’s education
Self-assured — having or showing self-confidence; bold or fearless; forward
Sincere — honest; truthful; not false or deceitful; free of hypocrisy; genuine
Stable — not likely to fall or give way (as a structure/support); steady
Stately — grand; imposing in size or magnificence; elegant; majestic
Straightforward — honest; straight to the point; not roundabout; direct
Sympathetic — understand what another is feeling; showing compassion
Tender — gentle; soft-hearted; compassionate; kind; delicate; young
Thoughtful — considerate of others; thinking before acting; pensive
Tolerant — open-minded; patient; charitable; sympathetic; lenient; accepting
Tranquil — calm; unruffled; unprovoked; peaceful; placid; serene
Vibrant — full of life and vigor; lively; full of vivid color; vivacious
Whimsical — playful or fun; offbeat; mischievous; quaint; capricious; fanciful
Witty — quick-witted; entertaining; amusingly clever; intelligent
Wonder — admiration; fascination; awe; curiosity; amazement; admiration

Negative Tone Words

Anything described in negative tone words is likely to leave you with a bad impression, whether the thing described is a place, a book, or a group of people.

Choose your words carefully. If this is a time for honest negativity, this list will help you find the right words.

Abashed — embarrassed or ashamed; humiliated; shy
Abhorring — hating; despising; loathing; abominating; detesting
Abstruse — difficult to understand; esoteric; secret or hidden; obsolete
Absurd — laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous; senseless; illogical; untrue
Accusatory — suggesting someone (else) has done something wrong
Acerbic — biting, abrasive, cutting, or sharp; hurtful; severe
Aggressive — hostile, forceful, argumentative, contentious
Angry — irate or furious; menacing or threatening; resentful
Annoyed — irritated; agitated; provoked; disturbed; bothered
Antagonistic — argumentative or contentious; contrarian; belligerent
Anxious — focused on negative thought loops; feeling out of control
Apathetic — indifferent or lacking concern; unemotional; showing little interest
Apprehensive — worried or nervous; expecting the worst
Arrogant — conceited or self-important; overbearing; condescending
Authoritarian — domineering or bossy; insisting on complete obedience
Belligerent — bellicose or warlike; antagonistic; combative
Bewildered — baffled, confused, or flummoxed; lost
Bitter — angry; acrimonious; resentful or dwelling on past injury
Boorish — dull; pretentious; arrogant or self-absorbed
Brusque — abrupt or dismissive; rough; blunt
Callous — uncaring or unfeeling; indifferent; lacking in compassion
Caustic — making cutting or corrosive comments; intending injury
Censorious — critical or quick to judge or condemn;
Choleric — quick to anger; short-tempered; hot-blooded; irascible
Churlish — critical in a mean-spirited way; nasty; belligerent; bullying
Cliché — overused; trite; stale; unimaginative; hackneyed; commonplace
Clinical — humorless; detached; unfeeling or uncaring; aloof; cold
Complicated — unnecessarily complex; difficult to comprehend
Condescending — patronizing; talking down to those you consider beneath you
Confounded — confused; befuddled or mystified; bewildered; damned
Confused — bewildered; unable to think clearly; vague; perplexed; disoriented
Contemptuous — hateful; spiteful; quick to hold others in contempt; toxic
Contentious — argumentative or combative; quick to stir the pot
Critical — finding fault; complaining or criticizing; disapproving
Cruel — causing pain or suffering; unkind; spiteful; devoid of humane feelings
Cynical — critical of motives; quick to assume the worst; mocking or sneering
Derisive — mocking; sarcastic; dismissive or scornful; snide
Derogatory — insulting or demeaning; disrespectul; unkind
Detached — aloof or distant; uncaring; unfeeling; frigid; machine-like
Diabolic — demonic or satanic; evil or malicious;
Diffident — lacking confidence in your ability or worth; timid or shy
Disgusted — appalled; repulsed; repelled; disappointed
Disparaging — critical; scornful; dismissive; insulting
Distressing — saddening or heartbreaking; troubling; disturbing
Dogmatic — thinking in black and white; intolerant; inflexible; close-minded
Domineering — imposing your beliefs and/or authority on others; tyrannical
Dubious — questionable or having questionable motives; inclined to doubt
Egotistical — ego-centric; self-centered or self-absorbed; vain; arrogant
Enraged — furious; unhinged; infuriated; extremely angry
Evasive — cryptic or unclear; avoiding; ambiguous; elusive or evanescent
Facetious — inappropriate or impertinent; flippant or dismissive; glib; shallow
Farcical — ridiculous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable
Fatalistic — pessimistic; expecting the worst as inevitable
Fearful — frightened; afraid; terrified; paralyzed or immobilized; shy
Flippant — casual or thoughtless; glib; inconsiderate; dismissive
Foppish — dandified; pretentious; vain; excessively refined and fastidious
Foreboding — dread; strong feeling of impending doom or evil
Frivolous — unnecessary and costing more than it’s worth; silly or lacking
Frustrated — feeling thwarted in your efforts; feeling besieged or undermined
Ghoulish — delighting in the loathesome, perverse, or revolting
Grim — serious or humorless; of dark intent; macabre; depressing
Hapless — unfortunate or appearing to be doomed to perpetual bad luck
Harsh — unkind or unmerciful; unnecessarily painful; unyielding
Humble — modest; deferential; self-confident; unassuming; respectful
Inane — foolish; stupid; silly or nonsensical; vacuous; empty; insignificant
Incredulous — disbelieving; unconvinced; suspicious; questioning; skeptical
Malicious — having ill intent; mean-spirited; spiteful; vindictive
Naïve — unsuspecting; gullible or easy to deceive; unsophisticated
Narcissistic — self-admiring; pathologically self-centered
Obsequious — fawning; overly submissive or obedient; servile; groveling
Outraged — furious or extremely angered; deeply offended
Pretentious — affected; artificial; grandiose; flashy; superficial
Satirical — mocking to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive; scornful
Sarcastic — ironic; saying the opposite of what you mean to mock or ridicule
Scathing — harsh; critical; cutting; unsparing; vicious; harmful or injurious
Sensationalistic — inaccurate; hyped up; exxagerated; provocative
Subjective — biased; prejudiced; based on emotion rather than facts
Sulking — resentful; sullen; bad-tempered; grumpy; self-pitying
Tragic — calamitous; disastrous; catastrophic; devastating
Uneasy — worried; ill at ease; edgy; nervous; unsettled
Vindictive — vengeful; spiteful; petty; unforgiving; hateful
World-weary — bored; tired; cynical; pessimistic

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Sad Tone Words

Some negative tone words leave you with an impression of sadness rather than disgust or anger.

Here’s a sampling of these, most of them described using other sad tone words.

Apologetic — full of regret or remorse; repentant; acknowleding failure
Depressed — lacking in energy or buoyancy; apathetic; emotionally blunted
Despairing — hopeless; sinking without an attempt to rise; seeing only darkness
Disheartening — discouraging; depressing; demoralizing; undermining; sad
Gloomy — depressing; dreary; discouraging; sad or low-spirited; pessimistic
Grave — serious; morose or moribund; solemn; weighty; important
Hollow — lacking substance; empty; meaningless; joyless
Melancholy — sad or prone to sadness; having a gloomy outlook
Pathetic — evoking pity; marked by sorrow or sadness; pitifully inadequate
Somber — gloomy; solemn; grave; melancholy; depressing
Wretched — miserable; sorrowful; distressed or in agony; despairing

Neutral Tone Words

When you want a neutral tone in writing, it can be hard to find.

It doesn’t take much for us to associate words with an emotion or to feel the emotional undercurrent of a word — whether positive or negative and to whatever degree. But some neutral words remain.

Ambivalent — uncertain; having mixed feelings; undecided
Cautionary — raises awareness; gives warning; admonishing
Compliant — in conformity with rules/expectations; flexible; acquiescent
Conciliatory — meant to pacify or placate; seeking to please
Colloquial — familiar; everyday language; casual or informal
Defensive — defending or guarding a position; watchful; preventing aggression
Formal — respectful; following accepted rules/styles; preserving form/custom
Impartial — objective; not favoring either side over the other
Intense — deeply felt; concentrated; passionate; earnest; extreme
Introspective — inward-focused or turning inward; contemplative
Pensive — lost in thought; introspective or reflective; contemplative
Pragmatic — realistic; dispassionate or detached; ruled by logic; practical
Solemn — serious; not funny; in earnest; sober; reverent; grave; mirthless
Urgent — insistent; implying something must be done as soon as possible

Did you find the tone words you were seeking?

Now that you’ve looked through our list of tones, which ones stood out for you the most? What kind of tone did those words have (positive, negative, or neutral)?

Sometimes, our moods make certain words stand out for us as more fitting or more resonant. And sometimes we just see them because we’ve used them or heard them used recently — in a way that made them stick.

I hope your life gives you plenty of reasons to use positive tone words. But some situations and contexts call for the opposite. Your current work in progress might call for plenty of the opposite.

And in certain contexts, even the neutral tone words sound more negative than otherwise. The right context can even change the tone of words that are usually considered positive.

I hope the words you use to describe yourself are kind and encouraging. And at the end of the day, may the balance of your words leave you with a smile.