Tone: the attitude of the speaker/writer as conveyed by sentence structure, literary devices,
imagery, diction, detail, etc.
abashed
abhorring
acerbic
admiring
adoring
affectionate
afraid
agitated
aloof
allusive
ambiguous
ambivalent
angry
annoyed
antagonistic
anxious
apathetic
apologetic
appreciative
apprehensive
approving
arrogant
audacious
bantering
belligerent
bemused
benevolent
bewildered
biting
bitter
blithe
blunt
boring
bossy
brisk
brusque
burlesque
calm
candid
casual
celebratory
cheerful
childish
choleric
clandestine
clinical
cold
colloquial
comforting
comic
commanding
compassionate
complex
complicated
complimentary
conceited
concerned
conciliatory
condescending
confident
confused
contemptuous
contented
contentious
conversational
curt
cynical
dejected
delightful
demanding
depressed
depressing
derisive
derogatory
desolate
despairing
desperate
despondent
detached
diabolic
didactic
difficult
diffident
direct
disappointed
disdainful
disgusted
disinterested
disliking
disrespectful
doubtful
dramatic
dreamy
dreary
earnest
easy
ebullient
ecstatic
effusive
elated
elegiac
elevated
eloquent
embarrassed
emotional
empathetic
encouraging
enraged
enthusiastic
eulogistic
euphoric
evasive
excited
exhilarated
expectant
facetious
factual
familiar
fanciful
fatalistic
fearful
fervent
flippant
forceful
foreboding
forthright
frantic
friendly
frightened
frivolous
funny
furious
ghoulish
giddy
gleeful
gloomy
grand
grave
greedy
grim
gushy
happy
harsh
haughty
hilarious
holier-than-thou
hollow
hopeful
hopeless
horrific
hostile
humorous
hurt
impartial
impatient
incisive
incredulous
indifferent
indignant
indirect
inflammatory
informal
informative
insecure
insipid
insistent
insolent
inspiring
interested
intimate
introspective
irreverent
ironic
irreverent
jocund
joking
jovial
joyful
joyous
laidback
languid
laudatory
learned
lethargic
light (light-hearted)
lively
lofty
ludicrous
lugubrious
lyrical
meditative
melancholy
mirthful
mischievous
miserable
mocking
modest
moralistic
motivated
mournful
mysterious
nervous
nonchalant
nostalgic
objective
ominous
optimistic
outraged
outspoken
paranoid
passionate
passive
pathetic
patronizing
peaceful
pedantic
pensive
petty
pessimistic
pithy
pitiful
placid
plaintive
playful
pleading
poignant
powerful
pretentious
provocative
proud
psychotic
questioning
reassuring
reflective
relaxed
resigned
respectful
restrained
reticent
reverent
ridiculous
risible
romantic
sad
sanctimonious
sanguine
sarcastic
sardonic
satiric
scared
scholarly
scornful
seductive
self-assured
self-deprecating
selfish
sentimental
sepulchral
serene
serious
severe
sharp
shocking
silly
simple
sincere
sinister
skeptical
sly
solemn
somber
soothing
speculative
sprightly
stable
stately
stern
stolid
straightforward
stressful
strident
subdued
suspenseful
suspicious
sympathetic
taunting
tender
tense
terse
thoughtful
threatening
timorous
tired
tragic
tranquil
turgid
unambiguous
uncaring
uncertain
unconcerned
understated
uneasy
unfriendly
unhappy
unsympathetic
upset
urgent
venerative
vexed
vibrant
violent
vitriolic
whimsical
wistful
worried
worshipful
wry
zealous
TONE
Language to describe tone
Positive tone/attitude: lighthearted, hopeful, exuberant, enthusiastic, complimentary, confident,
cheery, optimistic, loving, passionate, amused, elated, sympathetic, compassionate, proud
Negative tone/attitude: angry, disgusted, outraged, accusing, condemnatory, furious, wrathful,
inflammatory, irritated, indignant, threatening
Irony/Sarcasm: scornful, disdainful, contemptuous, sarcastic, cynical, critical, facetious,
patronizing, satiric, condescending, sardonic, mock-heroic, bantering, irreverent, mock-serious,
taunting, insolent, pompous, ironic, flippant, grotesque
Sorrow/Fear/Worry: somber, elegiac, melancholic, sad, disturbed, mournful, solemn, serious,
apprehensive, concerned, hopeless, staid, resigned
Neutral tone/attitude words: formal, objective, incredulous, nostalgic, ceremonial, candid,
shocked, reminiscent, restrained, clinical, baffled, sentimental, detached, objective, disbelieving,
questioning, urgent, instructive, matter-of-fact, admonitory, learned, factual, didactic,
informative,
authoritative
Attitude Words
accusatory: charging of wrongdoing
apathetic: indifferent due to lack of energy or concern
awe: solemn wonder
bitter: exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief
burlesque- comic; mocking through caricature or comic exaggeration
callous: unfeeling, insensitive to feelings
caustic: intense use of sarcasm; stinging, biting
critical: finding fault
choleric: hot-tempered, easily angered
colloquial- using a conversational style; informal conversation
condescension: a feeling of superiority
contemplative: studying, thinking, reflecting on the issue
contemptuous: showing or feeling that something is worthless; lacking respect
conventional: lacking spontaneity, originality and individuality
cynical- an attitude of distrust of people and human nature
derisive: ridiculing, mocking
despondent- showing extreme discouragement or depression
didactic- in a tone intended to preach a sermon or teach a lesson about life
disdainful- expressing contempt, dislike, or hate
earnest: intense, a sincere state of mind
erudite: learned, polished, scholarly
euphoric- feeling of elation or great joy
facetious- playfully humorous
fanciful: using the imagination
flippant- lacking proper respect
forthright: directly frank without hesitation
frivolous- lacking in seriousness
gloomy: darkness, sadness, rejection
haughty: proud and vain to the point of arrogance
hostile- extremely angry
impartial-attitude of being unbiased
incisive- impressively direct and decisive
indignant-attitude of being angry because of an injustice or unworthiness
intimate: very familiar
irreverent: lacking proper respect or seriousness
jovial: happy
judgmental: authoritative and often critical
laudatory- pertaining to or expressing praise
lyrical: expressing inner feelings, emotional, full of images, songlike
matter-of-fact: accepting of conditions, not fanciful or emotional
mocking: treating with contempt or ridicule
morose: gloomy, sullen, surly, despondent
malicious: purposely hurtful
objective: unbiased view
optimistic: hopeful, cheerful
obsequious: polite and obedient only for hope of gain or favor
patronizing: air of condescension
pessimistic: seeing the worst side of things
quizzical: odd, eccentric, amusing
reflective: illustrating innermost thoughts
reverent: treating a subject with honor, respect
ribald: offensive in speech, gesture
ridiculing: slightly contemptuous banter
sanguine: optimistic, cheerful
sarcastic: sneering, caustic
sardonic: scornfully and bitterly sarcastic
sincere: without deceit or pretense, genuine
solemn: deeply earnest, grave
whimsical: odd, queer, fantastic
Use this list to help determine tone by first considering whether the tone is positive or negative
overall, then considering if the author seems "mad, glad, or sad." Some of the words may fit in
multiple categories, depending on the text, and some words do not exactly fit in the "m-g-s"
categories
(see Other).
MAD (negative overall, though it could seem "humorous" in the case of satire)
accusatory-charging of wrong doing
bitter-exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief
burlesque- comic; mocking through caricature or comic exaggeration
callous-unfeeling, insensitive to feelings of others
caustic-intense use of sarcasm; stinging, biting
choleric-hot-tempered, easily angered
condescending/condescension -a air/feeling of superiority
contemptuous- expressing contempt, a lack of respect, or hate
critical-finding fault
cynical-distrust of people/human nature; questions people's
sincerity/goodness/motives
derisive-ridiculing, mocking
disdainful- expressing contempt, dislike, or hate; scornful
flippant- lacking proper respect
frivolous- lacking in seriousness
forthright-directly frank without hesitation
hostile- extremely angry
indignant-marked by anger aroused by injustice or unworthiness
irreverent- lacking proper respect or seriousness
judgmental-authoritative and often having critical opinions
malicious-purposely hurtful
mocking-treating with contempt or ridicule
patronizing-air of condescension
pessimistic-seeing the worst side of things; no hope
ribald-offensive in speech or gesture
ridiculing-slightly contemptuous banter; making fun of
GLAD (positive, pleasant overall)
awe-solemn wonder
contemplative-studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue
earnest-intense, a sincere state of mind
euphoric- feeling of elation or great joy
facetious- playfully humorous
fanciful-using the imagination
frivolous- lacking in seriousness
jovial-happy
laudatory- pertaining to or expressing praise
lyrical-expressing a writer's inner feelings; emotional; full of images;
song-like
obsequious-polite and obedient in order to gain something
optimistic-hopeful, cheerful
quizzical-odd, eccentric, amusing
reflective-illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions
reverent-treating a subject with honor and respect
ribald-offensive in speech or gesture
sanguineous -optimistic, cheerful
sarcastic-sneering, caustic
sardonic-scornfully and bitterly sarcastic
satiric-ridiculing to show weakness in order to make a point, teach
sincere-without deceit or pretense; genuine
whimsical-odd, strange, fantastic; fun
SAD (negative overall)
apathetic-indifferent due to lack of energy or concern
contemplative-studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue
despondent- showing extreme discouragement or depression
earnest-intense, a sincere state of mind
forthright-directly frank without hesitation
gloomy-darkness, sadness, rejection
intimate-very familiar
lyrical-expressing a writer's inner feelings; emotional; full of images;
song-like
morose-gloomy, sullen, surly, despondent
pessimistic-seeing the worst side of things; no hope
reflective-illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions
reverent-treating a subject with honor and respect
sincere-without deceit or pretense; genuine
solemn-deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection
OTHER/COMBINATION (formal/informal)
colloquial- using a conversational style; informal conversation
conventional-lacking spontaneity, originality, and individuality
didactic-author attempts to educate or instruct or teach a moral lesson
pedantic- narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned; unimaginative
erudite-learned, polished, scholarly
flippant- lacking proper respect
frivolous- lacking in seriousness
haughty-proud and vain to the point of arrogance
impartial-attitude of being unbiased
incisive- impressively direct and decisive
intimate-very familiar
lyrical-expressing a writer's inner feelings; emotional; full of images;
song-like
matter-of-fact--accepting of conditions; not fanciful or emotional
objective-an unbiased view-able to leave personal judgments aside
obsequious-polite and obedient in order to gain something
reflective-illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions
reverent-treating a subject with honor and respect
ribald-offensive in speech or gesture
sincere-without deceit or pretense; genuine
solemn-deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection