Examples of Tone in Literature

Study Notes

Examples of Tone

Accusing: A tone that charges wrongdoing.
Apathetic: Emotionless, showing indifference.
Apologetic: Expressing remorse or regret for wrongdoing.
Biased: Favoring one thing, person, or group over another.
Bitter: Expressing animosity due to pain or grief.
Bossy: Giving orders in a commanding manner.
Callous: Unfeeling and insensitive to others' feelings.
Commiserating: Feeling sorry for or empathizing with someone in a sad event.
Complacent: Self-satisfied and pleased with oneself.
Condescending: Patronizing, suggesting superiority.
Contemptuous: Expressing disdain or scorn.
Cynical: Believing people are self-centered and only concerned with their own needs.
Demagogical: Appealing to common people's emotions, often speaking down to the listener.
Derisive: Mocking.
Didactic: Intended to teach or preach.
Dogmatic: Asserting opinions in an arrogant, indisputable manner.
Earnest: Intense and sincere, conveying genuine feelings.
Emotional: Easily affected by feelings like love, hate, or fear.
Euphemistic: Using mild or indirect language to avoid harshness.
Facetious: Using humor, even when inappropriate.
Gloomy: Pessimistic and sad.
Haughty: Proud and arrogant.
Hesitant: Unsure or uncertain.
Indignant: Angry and outraged.
Inquisitive: Curious and asking questions.
Laudatory: Praising and applauding.
Obsequious: Showing excessive flattery.
Pompous: Pretentious and grandiose.
Provocative: Seeking to create a reaction from the listener.
Reverent: Expressing honor and respect.
Sarcastic: Using irony to mock or ridicule.
Satirical: Using irony to expose human folly.
Self-conscious: Acutely aware of oneself, sometimes to the point of unease.
Smug: Self-satisfied, often to an excessive degree.
Solemn: Serious and somber.
Speculative: Theoretical, rather than practical.
Spiteful: Malicious and mean-spirited.
Threatening: Foreboding, suggesting trouble to come.
Vitriolic: Full of anger and intense hatred.
Vituperative: Cruel and angry criticism.