AP Language and Composition—Tone Words You Must Know

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sullen, withdrawn

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

sanctimonious:

hypocritical show of religious devotion