AP Lang Tone Words

i am in pain

acerbic

acerbic

expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way

accusatory

assigning blame or fault

admonitory

serving to caution; warning

belligerent

hostile, aggressive, inclined to fight

brusque

markedly short in speech and or manner; rudely abrupt

callous

hardened, unfeeling, indifferent to the suffering of others

caustic

very harsh and critical

indignant

expressing anger at unjust actions or treatment; expressing offense

irreverent

lacking respect; disrespectful of what is generally respected or accepted

irritated

annoyed, exasperated

stubborn

determined not to change one’s attitude or position, even in spite of solid arguments to do so; inflexible

threatening

menacing, ominous

vociferous

expressing oneself in a loud, forceful manner

authoritative

having the confident quality of someone who is respected/obeyed by others

belittling

to portray a person or action seem as if he/she/it is unimportant

boastful

conceited bragging, expressing excessive pride (usually about oneself)

bombastic

using language intended to impress but does not express ideas clearly due to its overblown, flamboyant style; pompous

condescending

showing you believe you are more intelligent or better than others; patronizing

contemptuous

showing deep hatred or disapproval

critical

expressing disapproving or adverse comments about a person or subject

disdainful

expressing contempt or derision for someone/something because you find it unworthy of respect

disparaging

to speak of in a negative way; belittling

dogmatic

 expressing personal beliefs as if they are correct and cannot be doubted, much like doctrine; opinionated

haughty

arrogant; vainly proud

imperious

condescendingly domineering or overbearing

judgmental

critical, condemning, disapproving

moralistic

showing strong opinions about what is right and wrong behavior

pretentious

attempting to impress others by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc. than is actually possessed

scathing

mockingly contemptuous

scornful

a feeling, attitude, or expression of dislike and derision for someone

apprehensive

 viewing the future with anxiety

concerned

troubled, worried

despairing

desperate, a loss of all hope (hopeless)

disappointed

dissatisfied, upset

maudlin

foolishly or tearfully sentimental

melancholy

sad, depressed

morose

sullen, withdrawn

mournful

sorrowful, grief-stricken

regretful

apologetic, remorseful

resigned

having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot do anything about

somber

oppressively solemn or sober in mood; grave, serious

ominous

suggesting something menacing is going to happen in the future; threatening

pessimistic

expecting the worst possible outcome

wistful

having slightly sad thoughts about something that made you happy in the past

compassionate

caring and concerned about the plight of others

contemplative

deeply thoughtful

encouraging

giving reassurance or inspiration

hopeful

feeling or inspiring confidence about a future event

laudatory

expressing praise or admiration

nostalgic

a bittersweet (pleasure & sadness) longing for the past, wishing to experience it again

optimistic

the tendency to expect the best possible outcome

pensive

dreamily thoughtful, usually marked by some sadness

poignant

profoundly moving; touching (a poignant memory)

reflective

thoughtfully insightful, philosophical, deliberative

reverent

showing awe, honor, respect, or even worship (related to ancestors, religion, etc.)

sentimental

swayed by feeling; excessively emotional (love, pity, nostalgia)

affable

friendly, sociable, and generally good-natured

affectionate

feeling or showing a warm regard toward others

contented

feeling satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation

ebullient

cheerful, lively, full of energy

effusive

expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an emotionally unrestrained, heartfelt manner; gushy

elated

to be extremely happy/excited because of something that has happened (important criterion)

enthusiastic

showing intense and eager enjoyment and interest

fanciful

imaginative; playful

idealistic

naïve, unrealistically aiming for perfection

lighthearted

free from care; cheerful

amused

conveying that you think something is pleasantly entertaining

facetious

not seriously meaning what you say, usually in an attempt to deceive or trick others

flippant

having a sarcastically rude attitude when expected to be serious

humorous

funny or comical

ironic

a subtle form of mockery in which an intended meaning is conveyed implicitly

mocking

taunting, insulting

sarcastic

using irony in order to mock or convey contempt

sardonic

scorn, derision, mockery, or cynicism

tongue-in-cheek

implies insincerity, and therefore is humor that should not be taken seriously. It is often wry, subtle, and difficult to catch due to the fact that the humor is delivered with a straight face and meant to be taken seriously by the listener. “Facetious” is a typical synonym

apathetic

showing little or no emotion; indifferent

candid

honest, open, straightforward

cautionary

admonitory

clinical

highly objective; scientific

detached

separated; disconnected; free of emotion

didactic

instructive; inclined to teach or moralize, often excessively

erudite

characterized by great knowledge; scholarly

frank

open and sincere in expression; straightforward

impartial

not in favor of one side or the other; unbiased

indifferent

not caring one way or the other

informative

educational, useful, explanatory

laconic

expressing much in few words; concise; succinct

matter-of-fact

no-nonsense

pedantic

excessively scholarly or bookish; ostentatious about one’s learning

pedestrian

lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction; prosaic or dull

prosaic

lacking in imaginativeness or originality

restrained

reserved, controlled

solemn

very serious or formal in manner, behavior, or expression

ardent

passionate, zealous, fiery

biased

prejudiced towards one side

cynical

believing people are generally selfish and dishonest; distrustful

disingenuous

giving the false appearance of being honest or sincere (insincere)

impassioned

having or showing great warmth or intensity of feeling

incredulous

expressing disbelief; skeptical

saccharine

overly sweet and sentimental in a way that does not seem genuine