AP Literature Tone Words

Abrasive

grating, rough, harsh, showing little concerns for others’ feelings

Absurd

illogical; ridiculous; silly; implausible; foolish

Accusatory

suggesting someone has done something wrong, complaining

Acerbic

sharp; forthright; biting; hurtful; abrasive; severe

Acquiescent

accepted without protest; compliant, agreeable, accepting

Admiring

approving; think highly of; respectful; praising

Aggressive

hostile; determined; forceful; argumentative

Aggrieved

indignant; annoyed; offended; disgruntled

Ambiguous 

open to more than one interpretation; contains a double meaning

Ambivalent

having mixed feelings; uncertain; in a dilemma; undecided

Amused

entertained; diverted; pleased

Angry

incensed or enraged; threatening or menacing

Animated

full of life or excitement; lively; spirited; impassioned; vibrant

Apathetic

showing little interest; lacking concern; indifferent; unemotional

Apologetic

full of regret; repentant; remorseful; acknowledging failure

Appreciative

grateful; thankful; showing pleasure; enthusiastic

Ardent

enthusiastic; passionate

Arrogant

pompous; disdainful; overbearing; condescending; vain; scoffing

Assertive

self-confident; strong-willed; authoritative; insistent

Awestruck

amazed, filled with wonder/awe; reverential

Belligerent

hostile; aggressive; combatant

Bemused

puzzled; confused; bewildered

Benevolent

sympathetic; tolerant; generous; caring; well meaning

Bitter

angry; acrimonious; antagonistic; spiteful; nasty

Blithe

casual, cheerful indifference considered to be improper and callous 

Callous

cruel disregard; unfeeling; uncaring; indifferent; ruthless

Candid

truthful; straightforward; honest; unreserved; direct

Caustic

bitter (often coupled with sarcasm); corrosive; toxic; critical

Cautionary

giving warning; raising awareness; reminding

Celebratory

praising; paying tribute to; glorifying; honoring

Chatty

informal; lively; conversational; familiar

Colloquial

familiar, everyday language; informal; casual

Comic

humorous; witty; entertaining; diverting

Compassionate

sympathetic; empathetic; warm-hearted; tolerant; kind

Compliant

agree or obey rules; acquiescent; flexible; submissive

Concerned

worried; anxious; apprehensive

Conciliatory

intended to placate or pacify; appeasing

Condescending

stooping to the level of one’s inferiors; patronizing

Confused

unable to think clearly; bewildered; vague

Contemptuous 

scornful; insolent; mocking

Coy

flirtatiously shy; playfully aloof 

Critical

finding fault; disapproving; scathing; criticizing

Cruel

causing pain and suffering; unkind; spiteful; severe

Curious

wanting to find out more; inquisitive; questioning

Cynical

scornful of motives/virtues of others; mocking; sneering

Defensive

shielding; guarding; watchful

Deferential

respectful; humble; submissive; yielding

Defiant

obstinate; argumentative; defiant; contentious

Demeaning

disrespectful; undignified

Depressing

sad, melancholic; discouraging; pessimistic

Derisive

snide; sarcastic; mocking; dismissive; scornful

Detached

aloof; objective; unfeeling; distant

Didactic

in the manner of a teacher, in a lecturing way, patronizing 

Dignified

serious; respectful; formal; proper

Diplomatic

tactful; subtle; sensitive; thoughtful

Disapproving

displeased; critical; condemnatory

Disheartening

discouraging; demoralizing; undermining; depressing

Disparaging

dismissive; critical; scornful

Disappointed

discouraged; unhappy because expectations were not met 

Dispassionate

impartial; indifferent; unsentimental; cold; unsympathetic

Distressing

heart-breaking; sad; troubling

Docile

compliant; submissive; deferential; accommodating

Earnest

showing deep sincerity or feeling; serious

Egotistical

self-absorbed; selfish; conceited; boastful

Empathetic

understanding; kind; sensitive

Encouraging

optimistic; supportive

Enthusiastic

excited; energetic

Eulogistic

paying tribute to someone; laudatory; praising

Evasive

ambiguous; cryptic; unclear

Facetious

inappropriate; flippant

Farcical

ludicrous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable

Flippant

superficial; glib; shallow; thoughtless; frivolous

Forceful

powerful; energetic; confident; assertive

Formal

respectful; stilted; factual; in accordance with strict social styles/rules

Frank

honest; direct; plain; matter-of-fact

Frustrated

annoyed; discouraged

Gentle

kind; considerate; mild; soft

Ghoulish

delighting in the revolting or the loathsome

Grim

serious; gloomy; depressing; lacking humor; macabre

Hard

unfeeling; hard-hearted; unyielding

Haughty

arrogantly superior and disdainful; conceited

Humble

deferential; modest; sincerely self-deprecating 

Hypercritical

unreasonably critical; nitpicking

Impartial

unbiased; neutral; objective

Impassioned

filled with emotion; ardent

Imploring

pleading; begging

Impressionable

trusting; child-like

Inane

silly; foolish; stupid; nonsensical

Incensed

enraged

Incredulous

disbelieving; unconvinced; questioning; suspicious

Indignant

annoyed; angry because one feels personally attacked; dissatisfied

Informative

instructive; factual; educational

Inspirational

encouraging; reassuring

Intense

earnest; passionate; concentrated; deeply felt

Intimate

familiar; informal; confidential; confessional

Ironic

meaning the opposite of what is said

Irreverent

lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously

Jaded

bored; having had too much of the same thing; lacks enthusiasm

Joyful

positive; optimistic; cheerful; elated

Judgmental

critical; finding fault; disparaging

Languorous

characterized by tiredness or inactivity, especially of a pleasurable kind; lazy; relaxed

Languid

weak or faint from illness or fatigue; unenergetic  

Laudatory

praising; recommending

Light-Hearted

carefree; relaxed; chatty; humorous

Macabre

gruesome; horrifying; frightening

Malicious

desiring to harm others or to see others suffer; ill-willed; spiteful

Mean-Spirited

inconsiderate; unsympathetic

Mocking

scornful; ridiculing; making fun of someone

Mournful

grieving; lamenting; woeful

Naïve

innocent; unsophisticated; immature

Narcissistic

self-admiring; selfish; boastful; self-pitying

Negative

unhappy, pessimistic

Nostalgic

thinking about for the past; wistful longing (for the past)

Objective

without prejudice; without discrimination; fair; based on fact

Obsequious

overly obedient and/or submissive; fawning; groveling

Optimistic

hopeful; cheerful

Outraged

extremely angered; resentful; furious

Outspoken

frank; candid; spoken without reserve

Pathetic

expressing pity, sympathy, tenderness

Patronizing

condescending; scornful; pompous

Pensive

reflective; introspective; philosophical; contemplative

Pessimistic

seeing the negative side of things

Philosophical

theoretical; analytical; rational; logical

Playful

full of fun and good spirits; humorous; jesting

Poignant

evoking a sense of sadness or regret; emotional

Pragmatic

realistic; sensible

Pretentious

affected; artificial; grandiose; rhetorical; flashy

Regretful

apologetic; remorseful

Resentful

aggrieved; offended; displeased; bitter

Resigned

accepting; unhappy

Restrained

controlled; quiet; unemotional

Reverent

showing deep respect and esteem

Righteous

morally right and just; guiltless; pious; god-fearing

Satirical

making fun to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive

Sarcastic

scornful; mocking; ridiculing; ironic

Sardonic

grimly mocking; cynical; satirical 

Scathing

critical; stinging; unsparing; harsh

Scornful

expressing contempt or derision; scathing; dismissive

Sensationalistic

provocative; inaccurate; distasteful

Sentimental

thinking about feelings, especially when remembering the past

Sincere

honest; truthful; earnest

Skeptical

disbelieving; unconvinced; doubting

Solemn

not funny; in earnest; serious

Strident

loud; harsh; grating; unpleasantly forceful re: controversial topics

Subjective

prejudiced; biased

Submissive

compliant; passive; accommodating; obedient

Sulking

bad-tempered; grumpy; resentful; sullen

Sympathetic

compassionate; understanding of how someone feels

Thoughtful

reflective; serious; absorbed

Tolerant

open-minded; charitable; patient; sympathetic; lenient

Tragic

disastrous; calamitous

Unassuming

modest; self-effacing; restrained

Uneasy

worried; uncomfortable; edgy; nervous

Urgent

insistent; saying something must be done soon

Vexed

annoyed; frustrated; worried; distressed

Vindictive

vengeful; spiteful; bitter; unforgiving

Virtuous

lawful; righteous; moral; upstanding

Whimsical

quaint; playful; mischievous; offbeat

Witty

clever; quick-witted; entertaining

Wretched

miserable; despairing; sorrowful; distressed