Poetry Out Loud's "Tone List"

Kelly C. (United States of America)
The "Tone List" contains words indicating different tones a speaker or writer may choose to use. Some of the words have been slightly altered or removed, depending on how Visual Thesaurus presents them.
186 words 164 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abashed
    feeling or caused to feel uneasy and self-conscious
  2. abrasive
    causing irritation or erosion by friction
  3. abusive
    characterized by physical or psychological maltreatment
  4. accepting
    tolerating without protest
  5. acerbic
    sour or bitter in taste
  6. acquiescent
    willing to carry out the orders or wishes of another
  7. admiringly
    with admiration
  8. adoring
    extravagantly or foolishly loving and indulgent
  9. affectionate
    having or displaying warmth or fondness
  10. aghast
    struck with fear, dread, or consternation
  11. allusive
    characterized by indirect references
  12. amused
    pleasantly occupied
  13. angry
    feeling or showing extreme displeasure or hostility
  14. anxious
    causing or fraught with or showing nervousness
  15. apologetic
    offering or expressing regret
  16. apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
  17. approving
    expressing or manifesting praise or approval
  18. arch
    a curved masonry construction for spanning an opening
  19. ardent
    characterized by intense emotion
  20. argumentative
    given to or characterized by a tendency to dispute
  21. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
  22. awestruck
    having a feeling of mixed reverence and wonder and dread
  23. bantering
    cleverly amusing in tone
  24. begrudge
    be envious of or feel annoyance toward
  25. bemused
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
  26. benevolent
    showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding
  27. biting
    causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation
  28. bitter
    causing a sharp and acrid taste experience
  29. blithe
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
  30. boastful
    showing excessive self-importance
  31. bored
    uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence
  32. brisk
    quick and energetic
  33. bristle
    a stiff hair
  34. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
  35. calm
    not agitated; without losing self-possession
  36. candid
    openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
  37. caressing
    affectionate play
  38. caustic
    capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
  39. cavalier
    showing a lack of concern or seriousness
  40. childish
    indicating a lack of maturity
  41. childlike
    befitting a young child
  42. clipped
    cut or trimmed short
  43. cold
    having a low or inadequate temperature
  44. complimentary
    expressing praise and admiration
  45. condescending
    characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance
  46. confident
    having or marked by assurance
  47. confused
    unable to think with clarity or act intelligently
  48. contemptuous
    expressing extreme scorn
  49. conversational
    characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
  50. coy
    affectedly shy especially in a playful or provocative way
  51. critical
    of a serious examination and judgment of something
  52. curt
    brief and to the point
  53. cutting
    the act of penetrating or opening open with a sharp edge
  54. cynical
    believing the worst of human nature and motives
  55. defamatory
    harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign
  56. denunciatory
    containing warning of punishment
  57. despairing
    arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
  58. detached
    no longer connected or joined
  59. devil-may-care
    marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness
  60. didactic
    instructive, especially excessively
  61. disbelieving
    denying or questioning the tenets of especially a religion
  62. discouraged
    lacking in resolution
  63. disdainful
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  64. disparaging
    expressive of low opinion
  65. disrespectful
    exhibiting lack of regard; rude and discourteous
  66. distracted
    having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety
  67. doubtful
    fraught with uncertainty
  68. dramatic
    characteristic of a stage performance
  69. dreamy
    showing a lack of attention or care
  70. dry
    free from liquid or moisture
  71. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
  72. enthusiastic
    having or showing great excitement and interest
  73. entranced
    filled with wonder and delight
  74. eulogistic
    formally expressing praise
  75. exhilarated
    filled with joy or excitement
  76. exultant
    joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
  77. facetious
    cleverly amusing in tone
  78. fanciful
    indulging in or influenced by the imagination
  79. fearful
    experiencing or showing fear
  80. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
  81. fond
    having or displaying warmth or affection
  82. forceful
    characterized by power or strength
  83. frightened
    made afraid
  84. frivolous
    not serious in content, attitude, or behavior
  85. ghoulish
    suggesting the horror of death and decay
  86. giddy
    lacking seriousness; given to frivolity
  87. gleeful
    full of high-spirited delight
  88. glum
    moody and sorrowful
  89. grim
    harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance
  90. guarded
    cautious and reserved
  91. guilty
    responsible for or chargeable with wrongdoing
  92. happy
    marked by good fortune
  93. harsh
    disagreeable to the senses
  94. haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  95. heavyhearted
    depressed
  96. hollow
    not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
  97. horrified
    stricken with horror
  98. humorous
    characterized by the power to cause laughter
  99. hypercritical
    inclined to judge too severely
  100. indifferent
    marked by a lack of interest
  101. indignant
    angered at something unjust or wrong
  102. indulgent
    given to yielding to the wishes of someone
  103. ironic
    displaying incongruity between what is expected and what is
  104. irreverent
    showing lack of due respect or veneration
  105. joking
    characterized by jokes and good humor
  106. joyful
    full of or producing great happiness
  107. justify
    show to be right by providing proof
  108. languid
    lacking spirit or liveliness
  109. languorous
    lacking spirit or liveliness
  110. laudatory
    full of or giving praise
  111. light-hearted
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
  112. lingering
    the act of tarrying
  113. loving
    feeling or showing love and affection
  114. marvel
    be amazed at
  115. melancholy
    a constitutional tendency to be gloomy and depressed
  116. mistrustful
    openly suspicious
  117. mocking
    expressing contempt or ridicule
  118. mysterious
    beyond ordinary understanding
  119. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
  120. neutral
    having no personal preference
  121. nostalgic
    unhappy about being away and longing for familiar things
  122. objective
    the goal intended to be attained
  123. peaceful
    not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war
  124. pessimistic
    expecting the worst possible outcome
  125. pitiful
    deserving or inciting compassion
  126. playful
    full of fun and high spirits
  127. poignant
    keenly distressing to the mind or feelings
  128. pragmatic
    concerned with practical matters
  129. proud
    feeling self-respect, self-esteem, or self-importance
  130. provocative
    serving or tending to excite or stimulate
  131. questioning
    a request for information
  132. rallying
    the act of mobilizing for a common purpose
  133. reflective
    capable of physically throwing back light or sound
  134. reminisce
    recall the past
  135. reproachful
    expressing disapproval, blame, or disappointment
  136. resign
    accept as inevitable
  137. respectful
    exhibiting an attitude of admiration or esteem
  138. restrained
    under control
  139. reticent
    reluctant to draw attention to yourself
  140. reverent
    feeling or showing profound respect or veneration
  141. rueful
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
  142. sad
    experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
  143. sarcastic
    expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
  144. sardonic
    disdainfully or ironically humorous
  145. satirical
    exposing human folly to ridicule
  146. satisfied
    filled with contentment
  147. seductive
    tending to entice into a desired action or state
  148. self-pity
    excessive or overly indulgent sorrow over one's own troubles
  149. self-satisfied
    contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
  150. sentimental
    marked by tender, romantic, or nostalgic emotion
  151. serious
    of great consequence
  152. severe
    very harsh or strict, especially when dealing with others
  153. sharp
    having a point or thin edge suitable for cutting or piercing
  154. shocked
    struck with fear, dread, or surprise
  155. silly
    ludicrous, foolish
  156. sly
    marked by skill in deception
  157. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
  158. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
  159. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
  160. stentorian
    very loud or booming
  161. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
  162. straightforward
    pointed directly ahead
  163. strident
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  164. stunned
    dazed or knocked unconscious by a heavy blow
  165. subdued
    restrained in style or quality
  166. swaggering
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  167. sweet
    having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
  168. sympathetic
    expressing compassion or friendly fellow feelings
  169. taunting
    abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule
  170. tense
    taut or rigid; stretched tight
  171. thoughtful
    exhibiting or characterized by careful consideration
  172. threatening
    suggesting or expressive of evil, harm, or danger
  173. tired
    depleted of strength or energy
  174. touchy
    difficult to handle; requiring great tact
  175. trenchant
    having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought
  176. uncertain
    lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
  177. understated
    exhibiting restraint, especially in regards to taste
  178. upset
    cause to lose one's composure
  179. urgent
    compelling immediate action
  180. vexed
    troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
  181. vibrant
    vigorous and animated
  182. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
  183. whimsical
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  184. withering
    any weakening or degeneration
  185. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
  186. zealous
    marked by active interest and enthusiasm
Created on Sat Apr 27 11:03:03 EDT 2013 (updated Sat Apr 27 11:04:15 EDT 2013)

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