Words to Describe an Author's Tone

Words to Describe an Author's Tone

Tone	Meaning
Absurd	illogical; ridiculous; silly; implausible; foolish
Accusatory	suggesting someone has done something wrong, complaining
Acerbic	sharp; forthright; biting; hurtful; abrasive; severe
Admiring	approving; think highly of; respectful; praising
Aggressive	hostile; determined; forceful; argumentative
Aggrieved	indignant; annoyed; offended; disgruntled
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
Benevolent	sympathetic; tolerant; generous; caring; well meaning
Bitter	angry; acrimonious; antagonistic; spiteful; nasty
Callous	cruel disregard; unfeeling; uncaring; indifferent; ruthless
Candid	truthful, straightforward; honest; unreserved
Caustic	making biting, corrosive comments; critical
Cautionary	gives warning; raises awareness; reminding
Celebratory	praising; pay tribute to; glorify; honour
Chatty	informal; lively; conversational; familiar
Colloquial	familiar; everyday language; informal; colloquial; casual
Comic	humorous; witty; entertaining; diverting
Compassionate	sympathetic; empathetic; warm-hearted; tolerant; kind
Complex	having many varying characteristics; complicated
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; patronising
Confused	unable to think clearly; bewildered; vague
Contemptuous	showing contempt; scornful; insolent; mocking
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	defending a position; shielding; guarding; watchful
Defiant	obstinate; argumentative; defiant; contentious
Demeaning	disrespectful; undignified
Depressing	sad, melancholic; discouraging; pessimistic
Derisive	snide; sarcastic; mocking; dismissive; scornful
Detached	aloof; objective; unfeeling; distant
Dignified	serious; respectful; formal; proper
Diplomatic	tactful; subtle; sensitive; thoughtful
Disapproving	displeased; critical; condemnatory
Disheartening	discouraging; demoralising; undermining; depressing
Disparaging	dismissive; critical; scornful
Direct	straightforward; honest
Disappointed	discouraged; unhappy because something has gone wrong
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
Evasive	ambiguous; cryptic; unclear
Excited	emotionally aroused; stirred
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; following accepted 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 humour;macabre
Gullible	naïve; innocent; ignorant
Hard	unfeeling; hard-hearted; unyielding
Humble	deferential; modest
Humorous	amusing; entertaining; playful
Hypercritical	unreasonably critical; hair splitting; 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; dissatisfied
Informative	instructive; factual; educational
Inspirational	encouraging; reassuring
Intense	earnest; passionate; concentrated; deeply felt
Intimate	familiar; informal; confidential; confessional
Ironic	the opposite of what is meant
Irreverent	lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously
Jaded	bored; having had too much of the same thing; lack enthusiasm
Joyful	positive; optimistic; cheerful; elated
Judgmental	critical; finding fault; disparaging
Laudatory	praising; recommending
Light-Hearted	carefree; relaxed; chatty; humorous
Loving	affectionate; showing intense, deep concern
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
Mourning	grieving; lamenting; woeful
Naïve	innocent; unsophisticated; immature
Narcissistic	self-admiring; selfish; boastful; self-pitying
Nasty	unpleasant; unkind; disagreeable; abusive
Negative	unhappy, pessimistic
Nostalgic	thinking about the past; wishing for something from the past
Objective	without prejudice; without discrimination; fair; based on fact
Obsequious	overly obedient and/or submissive; fawning; grovelling
Optimistic	hopeful; cheerful
Outraged	angered and resentful; furious; extremely angered
Outspoken	frank; candid; spoken without reserve
Pathetic	expressing pity, sympathy, tenderness
Patronising	condescending; scornful; pompous
Pensive	reflective; introspective; philosophical; contemplative
Persuasive	convincing; eloquent; influential; plausible
Pessimistic	seeing the negative side of things
Philosophical	theoretical; analytical; rational; logical
Playful	full of fun and good spirits; humorous; jesting
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
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
Sceptical	disbelieving; unconvinced; doubting
Solemn	not funny; in earnest; serious
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
Vindictive	vengeful; spiteful; bitter; unforgiving
Virtuous	lawful; righteous; moral; upstanding
Whimsical	quaint; playful; mischievous; offbeat
Witty	clever; quick-witted; entertaining
Wonder	awe-struck; admiring; fascinating
World-Weary	bored; cynical; tired
Worried	anxious; stressed; fearful
Wretched	miserable; despairing; sorrowful; distressed