Tone Words for Literary Analysis

A-Z TONE WORDS FOR LITERARY ANALYSIS arrogant overbearing, insolent, superior, making claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights, Tone is more than an author’s attitude toward his/her assuming, haughty, disdainfully proud, snobbish, audience and characters; it is the stylistic means by which scornfully arrogant, supercilious, condescending an author conveys his/her attitude(s) in a work of literature. artificial phony, feigned, forced, false, insincere audacious fearless, recklessly daring, unrestrained, Tone is an integral part of a work’s meaning because it extremely bold or daring, recklessly brave, controls the reader’s response which is essential to fully impudent, insolent experiencing literature. To misinterpret tone is to austere stern, strict, frugal misinterpret meaning. authoritarian peremptory, dictatorial, domineering, egotistical, having an air of authority, accustomed to In order to recognize tonal shift and to interpret exercising authority complexities of tone, the reader must be able to make awed solemn wonder inferences based on an active reading of the work. The baffled confused, bewildered or perplexed author's tone or voice is revealed by organization, choice of bantering good-humored, playful in conversation detail, and sentence structure, but word choice is probably belligerent aggressively hostile, warlike, threatening the strongest indicator of tone. bemused preoccupied, deep in thought, confused benevolent expressing positive or kind feelings Familiarize yourself with the denotations and connotations bewildered perplexed, completely confused of the following tone words to aid your literary analysis. biting nipping, keen, cutting, sarcastic, sharp bitter exhibiting strong animosity due to pain or grief, abashed ashamed or embarrassed, disconcerted characterized by intense antagonism or hostility/ accusatory/accusing charging of wrong doing hard to admit or accept, grim, cynical acerbic sharp or sour, strident, harsh blithe joyous, merry, glad, jocund, admiring regarding with wonder, pleasure, approval, blunt abrupt in address or manner, brusque approving, worshipping bold courageous, daring, not hesitating or fearful in the admonishing cautioning, reproving, scolding, face of danger or rebuff, courageous and daring, not censorious, damning, reminding hesitating to break the rules of propriety, forward, adoring regarding with utmost esteem, love and respect impudent, confident affectionate with fondness, tenderly, showing, loving, bombastic pretentious and pompous, lofty, elevated characterized by affection or love bored indifferent, uninterested aggravated aggrieved, wronged, exasperated, agitated brash brazen, audacious, forward, insolent, rude, uppity aloof indifferent, disinterested, detached brisk quick and active, lively, stimulating ambiguous doubtful, uncertain from obscurity, having brusque blunt, impatient with good manners, rough multiple meanings or interpretations, vague, callous emotionally hardened, unfeeling evasive calm measured, tranquil, free from passion, serene, ambivalent mixture of opposite feelings, inability to peaceful, unmoved, placid, quiet make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to candid open and sincere, straightforward, honest, say or do two opposite or conflicting things, frank, outspoken uncertain capricious flighty, erratic, led by whims amiable friendly, agreeable, good-humored, pleasant casual without serious intention, offhand, careless amused pleasurably entertained, occupied, diverted caustic intense use of sarcasm, stinging, biting angry unhappy and resentful, furious censorious severely critical, faultfinding antagonistic hostile, unfriendly, oppositional, ceremonial characterized by formality, ritual, ceremony argumentative cheerful/cheery with good spirits anxious full or uneasiness or worry, eager for approval, childish puerile, silly, weak, possibly whiny apprehensive, showing mental distress or choleric easily angered, irascible uneasiness, greatly worried, solicitous out of worry classical formal, standard, traditional apathetic indifferent due to lack of energy or concern, clinical dispassionately analytic, unemotional, objective impassive, without emotion coarse unrefined, crude, vulgar, unpolished apologetic excusing a fault or injury, containing an cogent convincing, reasonable apology or excuse, penitent cold uncaring, indifferent, mildly hostile appreciative feeling or expression of gratitude colloquial ordinary and informal, conversational apprehensive uneasy about the future, nervous comic humorous, funny approving to speak of or judge favorably, admiring commanding in charge, assumes position of authority ardent intense with feeling, enthusiasm, devoted, compassionate showing concern, empathetic, fervent, zealous, vehement, impassioned understanding complementary politely flattering conceited showing excessively favorable opinion of earnest intense, a sincere state of mind, serious one’s self ebullient overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, high- concerned interested or affected or troubled by spirited conciliatory agreeable, characterized by appeasement ecstatic rapturous, a state of extreme positive emotion condemnatory expressing strong disapproval effusive unrestrained, excessive emotional expression condescending in a patronizing, degrading manner egotistical vain, boasting, selfish, indifferent to others confident assured elated jubilant, in high spirits confused perplexed, bewildered, unclear or indistinct elegiac of, relating to, or involving mourning or sorrow consoling comforting, soothing, condoling, encouraging elevated exalted, lofty, extremely reverent contemplative studying, thinking, reflective eloquent marked by fluent, forceful, appropriate words contemptuous scornful, expressing disdain embarrassed self-conscious, ill at ease, disconcerted contented satisfied, pleased emotionless without emotion, logical, matter-of-fact contentious involving or likely to cause contention, empathetic showing emotion, understanding of others quarrelsome, argumentative encouraging inspiring, approving, motivating contradictory antagonistic, paradoxical, conflicting energetic filled with energy, enthusiasm conversational casual spoken words, slang, 2nd enraged extremely angry, infuriated person, chatty, informal enthusiastic having or showing great enthusiasm critical finding fault, judgmental erudite learned, scholarly cultured high degree or taste, sophisticated eulogistic formal praise, usually for the dead curt abrupt, brief, terse, laconic, terse, concise euphoric beyond earthly happiness, sometimes manic cynical tendency to see humans as selfish, evasive tending or intending to evade, deliberately opportunistic, pessimistic, can be sneering and vague bitter evocative having the ability to call forth memories decadent marked by a decay in morals and values excited eager, filled with excitement and anticipation demanding requiring more than is generally felt to be exhilarated to make cheery or happy, invigorating due, taxing exhortatory advising, urging, cautioning urgently depressed dejected, downcast, sad, gloomy expectant having expectations dejected hopeless, doleful, discouraged, downcast exuberant effusively, uninhibitedly enthusiastic derisive ridiculing, mocking, contemptuous facetious lightly amusing, unserious, frivolous, derogatory disparaging, depreciatory factual of or pertaining to facts despairing overcome by sense of futility, without hope familiar informal, easygoing, unceremonious, friendly desperate reckless or dangerous because of despair or fanciful capricious or whimsical urgency farcical comedic with high exaggeration, ludicrous, detached disinterested, unbiased, aloof, impartial, absurd, mocking objective fatalistic in the belief that everything is predetermined diabolic devilish, fiendish, outrageously wicked fearful full of fear, dread, awe or reverence didactic inclined to teach or moralize (often excessively) fervent warmth intensity of spirit, ardent diffident timid, reserved in manner, shy, lacking in flippant lacking seriousness, disrespectfully casual, confidence uncaring direct straight, undeviating, not oblique forceful powerful, authoritative disappointed discouraged by failure of some hope or foreboding to have inward conviction of coming doom expectation formal marked by correct language, official, stiff disbelieving to have no belief in, refusing belief in forthright directly frank without hesitation, outspoken discursive moving pointlessly topic to topic, rambling frantic desperate or wild with passion or fear, frenzied disdainful scornful, full of contempt frightened scared, alarmed disingenuous not sincere, selective, evasive frivolous lacking in seriousness, carefree, self-indulgent disgusted to feel sickened, to feel nauseated by frustrated disappointed, thwarted disrespectful exhibiting no respect, rude, discourteous furious full of fury or rage, enraged, violently passionate disturbed marked by symptoms of mental illness, gentle kind, considerate, mild, soft agitated, distressed, disrupted ghoulish strangely diabolical, delighting in loathsome dogmatic opinionated, asserting opinions in arrogant giddy frivolous, lighthearted, impulsive, flighty manner gleeful full of joy and delight, merry domineering overbearing, tyrannical gloomy hopeless, despairing, pessimistic doubtful uncertain, questioning grand full of importance, formal, impressive, majestic dramatic arresting or forceful, filled with showmanship grave something serious or solemn, weighty, serious dreamy romantic, fanciful, imaginary, idealistic, preoccupied, grim stern, surly, having a forbidding air visionary, insubstantial, speculative haughty proud and vain to the point of arrogance, dubious wavering or hesitating in opinion snobbish, supercilious histrionic over the top dramatic lyrical expressing deep emotion, rhapsodic holier-than-thou sanctimonious, self-righteous, malicious purposely hurtful, spiteful, ill-willed obnoxiously pious matter-of-fact practical, not fanciful or emotional, hollow insincere or false, empty, not solid direct, unemotional, straightforward, down-to- homespun simple and homely earth, not fanciful or imaginative hopeful full of optimism, hope meditative deeply thoughtful, reflective hopeless despairing, without hope, desperate melancholic expressing sadness for the past, mournful, horrified showing great horror or shock filled with ennui hostile antagonistic, not friendly, inhospitable melodramatic exaggerated sentiment, overdramatic humble meek, unassuming, deferential, modest, self- mirthful gay, jolly, arousing or provoking laughter effacing mischievous playful, annoying, slyly teasing, injurious humorous funny, comical hilarious mock-heroic satiric imitation of heroic traits hurt wounded, crushed, distressed, pained, piqued, miffed mocking ridiculing, deriding, mimicking in sport impartial fair, just, not showing favoritism, unbiased modest free from vanity egotism boastfulness or great impassioned filled with passion, ardent pretensions, simple and honest impassive without emotion, calm, unmoved, serene moralistic concerned with principles of morality, impatient not patient, not accepting of delays/excuses narrowly and conventionally moral imperious arrogantly domineering, overbearing morose gloomy, sullen, surly, despondent impertinent insolently, rude, uncivil, impudent mysterious puzzling, sly, evasive, ambiguous incredulous unbelieving, disbelieving, skeptical nervous highly excitable, uneasy, apprehensive incisive cutting, biting, sharp, keen, acute nonchalant coolly unconcerned, indifferent, unexcited indifferent without interest or concern, not caring, nostalgic longing for the past, wistful over changed disinterested conditions indignant marked by anger, aroused by justice numb dazed, paralyzed, stupefied, listless, remote indirect roundabout, deceitful, devious obdurate stubborn, unmoved by persuasion, pity or inflammatory likely to stir up anger or trouble tender feelings, unyielding informal casual, chatty, unofficial objective uninfluenced by emotions, factual informative giving information, instructive obsequious polite, obedient in order to gain something inquisitive curious, analytical, investigative, prying offensive disrespectful, displeasing, insulting insecure subject to fears, doubts, not confident, ominous foreboding, threatening, inauspicious, baleful defensive optimistic hopeful, cheerful, sanguineous insistent earnest, persistent, pertinacious oratorical given to making speeches insolent rude, not showing proper respect, arrogant outraged angered and resentful, furious, extremely instructive enlightening, conveying instruction, teaching, angry didactic outspoken frank, candid, expressed without reserve introspective self-examining, reflective overbearing domineering, dictatorial, rudely arrogant intimate very familiar, closely personal, deep, detailed panicked highly fearful, intensely anxious irascible easily provoked to anger, very irritable paranoid irrationally fearful or distrustful irreverent showing disrespect for things that are passionate compelled by intense emotion or feeling, normally respected quick-tempered, irascible, ardently sensual irritated annoyed, provoked, angered pathetic rousing sympathy, pitiful ironic exemplifying irony, unexpected patriotic nationalistic, devoted to one’s country jocund cheery, joyful, and happy, jovial, merry, blithe patronizing to treat in a condescending manner joking teasing, mocking, jesting, ridiculing peaceful quiet, calm, without worry jovial hearty, joyous, in the spirit of good fellowship pedantic concerned with unimportant details joyful full of joy, delighted, joyous, jubilant penitent apologetic, feeling deep regret contrite, laudatory containing and expressing praise wishing for atonement learned scholarly, erudite, deeply knowledgeable pensive dreamily thoughtful, introspective lighthearted carefree, cheerful, gay perplexed nonplussed, totally puzzled or confused lively full of life, active, vigorous, animated, spirited, pertinent pointed, incisive vivacious, sprightly pessimistic seeing the worst side of things, no hope loathing abhorring, detest utterly, abominate, viewed petty caring about silly things with extreme repugnance or aversion petulant easily irritated or annoyed lofty exalted in rank, dignity or character, elevated in pious displaying a reverence for God or the divine style or tone or sentiment placid pleasantly calm or peaceful, unruffled, tranquil, ludicrous absurd, provoking ridicule serene lugubrious mournful, dismal, gloomy, especially to a playful teasing, lighthearted joking, gently jesting ludicrous degree pleading begging, entreating, imploring poignant keen or strong in feeling, emotionally moving sinister threatening, ominous, dark pompous characterized by ostentatious display of skeptical showing doubt, questioning dignity or importance sly cunning, wily, stealthy, insidious, secretive pretentious exaggerated show of dignity or importance solemn deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection, proud filled with satisfaction, self-esteem, or self- grave, mirthless respect somber gloomy, depressing, dismal, extremely serious provincial limited in perspective, self-centered sophomoric intellectually pretentious, overconfident, provocative tending to provoke, inciting, vexing conceited, immature prurient preoccupied with lewd and lustful thoughts speculative theoretical, considering, investigative, puritanical strict or severe in matters of morality inquiringly reflective questioning challenging politely, inquiring, curious sprightly animated, vivacious, gay, lively quiet calm, measured stable firm, steady, unshakable, confident quizzical odd, eccentric, amusing stark plain, harsh, bleak or grim reassuring calming, soothing stately majestic, elegant rebellious argumentative, disagreeable, challenging, stern firm, strict, uncompromising, hard, harsh, severe disobedient, bellicose, defiant, fractious, insurgent, stolid having or revealing little emotion mutinous, pugnacious, quarrelsome, seditious strident loud, harsh, and unpleasantly noisy recalcitrant resisting authority, disobedient, stolid unemotional, impassive, not easily moved noncompliant, refractory straightforward direct, honest reflective meditative, deliberating strident grating, creaking, harsh sounding relaxed casual, leisurely, not tense stubborn unbending, unyielding, obstinate, mulish, reminiscent suggestive, raising memories perverse, persistent, tenacious, dogged resigned defeated, submissive, acquiescing subdued quiet, inhibited, repressed, controlled respectful showing politeness or deference, civil, supercilious haughtily disdainful, contemptuous deferential, well-mannered superficial fake, insincere, frivolous, perfunctory restrained held back, deprived, controlled suspenseful causing suspense reticent reserved, restrained, inclined to hold back suspicious distrustful, skeptical, wary, apprehensive one’s true feelings or thoughts sympathetic compassionate, empathetic reverent treating a subject with honor and respect taunting reproaching in a mocking, insulting or ridiculing slightly contemptuous banter, making fun of contemptuous manner ridiculous worthy of derision or scorn, absurd, tense strained, tight, taut, rigid preposterous tentative in an unsure state of mind righteous guiltless, moved by what is morally right terse effectively concise, brief, pithy romantic idealizing, chivalrous, starry-eyed, visionary, thoughtful considerate, contemplative, meditative, dreamy, fanciful, sentimental, idealistic, mysterious, reflective quixotic, tender, enchanting, exotic, impractical threatening menacing, alarming, ominous, sinister, sanguine cheerfully optimistic, hopeful or confident bullying sarcastic sneering, caustic, ridiculing, bitterly ironic timorous timid, fearful sardonic scornfully or cynically mocking, sarcastic tragic dreadful, calamitous, disastrous, fatal satiric characterized by satire, mocking, ridiculing tranquil free of commotion, peaceful, quiet, calm scholarly academic, intellectual turgid pompous, excessively ornate, complex in style scornful contemptuous, excessively critical uncertain not confident, unclear, hesitant seductive enticing, luring, beguiling, enchanting, understated restrained, low-key inviting, tempting uneasy uncomfortable, restless, disturbed, perturbed self-deprecating belittling of the self, excessively urbane sophisticated modest urgent compelling, imperative, pressing selfish self-absorbed, egotistical, narcissistic, self- venerative regarding with reverence serving, parsimonious vexed annoyed, irritated, distressed sentimental colored by emotion rather than realism vindictive revengeful, spiteful, bitter, unforgiving serene calm peaceful, tranquil, unruffled vitriolic scathing or bitter serious not funny, in earnest whimsical playful, humorous or fanciful, unpredictable, severe harsh, unnecessarily extreme in manner capricious sharp distinct, keen, fierce, impatient wistful melancholic, yearning, pensive, longing shocked struck with fear, dread, or amazement, worshipful adoring, reverent stunned, unsettled, disturbed wrathful incensed, ireful, condemnatory shocking disgusting, horrifying, surprising wry satiric, bitter, disdainfully ironic silly characterized by a lack of seriousness, fanciful zealous highly motivated, fervent sincere without deceit or pretense, genuine