Tone Words

Section 1. Anger/Rudeness/Disrespect

1. acerbic: expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way

2. accusatory: assigning blame or fault

3. admonitory: serving to caution; warning

4. belligerent: hostile, aggressive, inclined to fight

5. brusque: markedly short in speech and or manner; rudely abrupt

6. callous: hardened, unfeeling, indifferent to the suffering of others

7. caustic: very harsh and critical

8. indignant: expressing anger at unjust actions or treatment; expressing offense

9. irreverent: lacking respect; disrespectful of what is generally respected or accepted

10. irritated: annoyed, exasperated

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

12. threatening: menacing, ominous

13. vociferous: expressing oneself in a loud, forceful manner

Section 2. Arrogance

1. authoritative: having the confident quality of someone who is respected/obeyed by others

2. belittling: to portray a person or action seem as if he/she/it is unimportant

3. boastful: conceited bragging, expressing excessive pride (usually about oneself) 

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

5. condescending: showing you believe you are more intelligent or better than others; patronizing

6. contemptuous: showing deep hatred or disapproval

7. critical: expressing disapproving or adverse comments about a person or subject

8. disdainful: expressing contempt or derision for someone/something because you find it unworthy of respect

9. disparaging: to speak of in a negative way; belittling

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

11. haughty: arrogant; vainly proud

12. imperious: condescendingly domineering or overbearing

13. judgmental: critical, condemning, disapproving

14. moralistic: showing strong opinions about what is right and wrong behavior

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

16. scathing: mockingly contemptuous

17. scornful: a feeling, attitude, or expression of dislike and derision for someone

Section 3. Sadness/Fear/Anxiousness

1. apprehensive: viewing the future with anxiety 

2. concerned: troubled, worried

3. despairing: desperate, a loss of all hope (hopeless)

4. disappointed: dissatisfied, upset

5. maudlin: foolishly or tearfully sentimental

6. melancholy: sad, depressed

7. morose: sullen, withdrawn

8. mournful: sorrowful, grief-stricken

9. regretful: apologetic, remorseful

10. resigned: having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot do anything about

11. somber: oppressively solemn or sober in mood; grave, serious

12. ominous: suggesting something menacing is going to happen in the future; threatening

13. pessimistic: expecting the worst possible outcome

14. wistful: having slightly sad thoughts about something that made you happy in the past

Section 4. Peacefulness/Sensitive Emotions

1. compassionate: caring and concerned about the plight of others

2. contemplative: deeply thoughtful

3. encouraging: giving reassurance or inspiration

4. hopeful: feeling or inspiring confidence about a future event

5. laudatory: expressing praise or admiration

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

7. optimistic: the tendency to expect the best possible outcome

8. pensive: dreamily thoughtful, usually marked by some sadness

9. poignant: profoundly moving; touching (a poignant memory)

10. reflective: thoughtfully insightful, philosophical, deliberative

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

12. sentimental: swayed by feeling; excessively emotional (love, pity, nostalgia)

Section 5. Happiness/Friendliness

1. affable: friendly, sociable, and generally good-natured 

2. affectionate: feeling or showing a warm regard toward others

3. contented: feeling satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation

4. ebullient: cheerful, lively, full of energy 

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

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

7. enthusiastic: showing intense and eager enjoyment and interest 

8. fanciful: imaginative; playful 

9. idealistic: naïve, unrealistically aiming for perfection 

10. lighthearted: free from care; cheerful

Section 6. Humor/Sarcasm

1. amused: conveying that you think something is pleasantly entertaining

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

3. flippant: having a sarcastically rude attitude when expected to be serious

4. humorous: funny or comical

5. ironic: a subtle form of mockery in which an intended meaning is conveyed implicitly

6. mocking: taunting, insulting 

7. sarcastic: using irony in order to mock or convey contempt 

8. sardonic: scorn, derision, mockery, or cynicism

9. 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.

Section 7. Neutral

1. apathetic: showing little or no emotion; indifferent

2. candid: honest, open, straightforward 

3. cautionary: admonitory 

4. clinical: highly objective; scientific 

5. detached: separated; disconnected; free of emotion

6. didactic: instructive; inclined to teach or moralize, often excessively

7. erudite: characterized by great knowledge; scholarly

8. frank: open and sincere in expression; straightforward

9. impartial: not in favor of one side or the other; unbiased

10. indifferent: not caring one way or the other

11. informative: educational, useful, explanatory

12. laconic: expressing much in few words; concise; succinct

13. matter-of-fact: no-nonsense

14. pedantic: excessively scholarly or bookish; ostentatious about one’s learning *

15. pedestrian: lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction; prosaic or dull

16. prosaic: lacking in imaginativeness or originality

17. restrained: reserved, controlled

18. solemn: very serious or formal in manner, behavior, or expression

Section 8. Miscellaneous Emotions

1. ardent: passionate, zealous, fiery

2. biased: prejudiced towards one side

3. cynical: believing people are generally selfish and dishonest; distrustful

4. disingenuous: giving the false appearance of being honest or sincere (insincere)

5. impassioned: having or showing great warmth or intensity of feeling

6. incredulous: expressing disbelief; skeptical

7. saccharine: overly sweet and sentimental in a way that does not seem genuine

8. sanctimonious: hypocritical show of religious devotion