tone down

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Related to tone down: tune down, nowhere to be found, pick up the slack, short of, hard done by

tone

(tōn)

1. Music

a. A sound of distinct pitch, quality, and duration; a note.

b. The interval of a major second in the diatonic scale; a whole step.

c. A recitational melody in a Gregorian chant.

a. The quality or character of sound.

b. The characteristic quality or timbre of a particular instrument or voice.

a. The pitch of a word used to determine its meaning or to distinguish differences in meaning.

b. The particular or relative pitch of a word, phrase, or sentence.

4. Manner of expression in speech or writing: took an angry tone with the reporters.

5. A general quality, effect, or atmosphere: a room with an elegant tone.

a. A color or shade of color: light tones of blue.

b. Quality of color: The green wallpaper had a particularly somber tone.

7. The general effect in painting of light, color, and shade.

8. Physiology

a. The normal state of elastic tension or partial contraction in resting muscles.

b. Normal firmness of a tissue or an organ.

v. toned, ton·ing, tones

v.tr.

1. To give a particular tone or inflection to.

2. To soften or change the color of (a painting or photographic negative, for example).

3. To sound monotonously; intone.

4. To make firmer or stronger. Often used with up: exercises that tone up the body.

v.intr.

1. To assume a particular color quality.

2. To harmonize in color.

Phrasal Verb:

tone down

To make less vivid, harsh, or violent; moderate.

[Middle English ton, from Old French, from Latin tonus, from Greek tonos, string, a stretching; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tone down

(adverb) to moderate or become moderated in tone: to tone down an argument; to tone down a bright colour.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tone down

See: attenuation.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Verb	1.	tone down - deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping damp, mute, muffle, dampen, dull soften - make (images or sounds) soft or softer
	2.	tone down - make less strong or intense; soften; "Tone down that aggressive letter"; "The author finally tamed some of his potentially offensive statements" tame, moderate alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"

tone

noun

1. A sound of distinct pitch and quality:

timbre, tonality, tone color.

2. A particular vocal quality that indicates some emotion or feeling:

accent, inflection, intonation.

Idiom: tone of voice.

3. A distinctive way of expressing oneself:

fashion, manner, mode, style, vein.

4. A general impression produced by a predominant quality or characteristic:

air, ambiance, atmosphere, aura, feel, feeling, mood, smell.

5. A prevailing quality, as of thought, behavior, or attitude:

climate, mood, spirit, temper.

6. The property by which the sense of vision can distinguish between objects, as a red apple and a green apple, that are very similar or identical in form and size:

color, hue, shade, tint.

7. A shade of a color, especially a pale or delicate variation:

cast, hue, tinge, tint.

phrasal verb
tone down

1. To make less emphatic or obvious:

de-emphasize, play down.

Informal: soft-pedal.

2. To make or become less severe or extreme:

moderate, mute, qualify, soften, subdue, tame, temper.

Translations

يُخَفِّف النَّغَمَه

změkčitzmírnit

mildnenedtone

draga úr, milda

yumuşatmak

w>tone down

vt sep (lit, fig) → abmildern; colour also → abschwächen; criticism also, language, demands → mäßigen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

tone

(təun) noun

1. (the quality of) a sound, especially a voice. He spoke in a low/angry/gentle tone; He told me about it in tones of disapproval; That singer/violin/piano has very good tone.

2. a shade of colour. various tones of green.

3. firmness of body or muscle. Your muscles lack tone – you need exercise.

4. in music, one of the larger intervals in an octave eg between C and D.

verb

to fit in well; to blend. The brown sofa tones (in) well with the walls.

ˈtonal adjective

of musical tones.

ˈtoneless adjective

without tone; with no variation in sound etc. She spoke in a toneless voice.

ˈtonelessly adverb

tone down

to make or become softer, less harsh etc. He toned down some of his criticisms.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

But tone down the charge in your rifle and use a smaller projectile, or you'll have nothing but a bunch of feathers to show for your shot.

View in context

Prince Andrew, who had evidently wished to tone down the awkwardness of Pierre's remarks, rose and made a sign to his wife that it was time to go.

View in context

And I think, Grahame, that lately she has been trying constantly, persistently, to tone down my opinions.

View in context

"I suppose one can tone down to it, but I feel a bit out of the picture at present.

View in context

"Yes, we had better separate." And on the morrow he retraced his steps and proceeded to tone down his impressions of the great Lombard artist.

View in context

The city government here decided to tone down the celebration of its 82nd Charter Day set on Sunday.

Simple celebration for Iloilo City's 82 Charter Day

Some studios wanted me to tone down the sex and drugs so the film would get a PG-13 rating.

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Cheryl warned to "tone down" upcoming The Greatest Dancer performance

Cheryl reveals nerves about being lifted by Pasha as she dances with Strictly pros; Dance captain will have to match the ballroom pros move for move as she performs alongside them on The Greatest Dancer

"I don't think I'm going to tone down or change who I am just because now I'm married which leads me into the next part of my answer that if it happens, I'm not going to filter it.

Ranveer Singh after marriage: No, he's not changing

ISLAMABAD -- Ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf leadership has decided to tone down its tirade against what they alleged loot and plunder of national wealth by the PML-N and PPP leaders, at least in the Parliament, to ensure smooth sailing of the apex legislative body in the country.

PTI leadership to tone down tirade against Opp leaders

It's time for the president to significantly tone down his rhetoric.

President should tone down rhetoric

Shahbaz assured them that the former PM would tone down his rhetoric in coming days.