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to tone

to tone

3 4.9
To change the color or shade of something
  • verb
  • /toʊn/
: matizar
  • When coloring the background, be sure to tone it down to create a more harmonious composition.
  • toned image
  • sepia-toned
  • earth-toned

Let's see if that tones it down enough sounds like a super cool toned light nude.

Examples

  • In photography, you can tone the image by adjusting the saturation and contrast for a softer look.

  • The memorial consists of a line of silver-toned plaques extending from one huge tree to another.

    Blog text (20)
  • After the base is down, just tone it down a little with a cotton ball.

  • Organic, maybe to like tone it down a little bit so it doesn't burn like a lot.

  • Three letters on a gold-toned plaque spelled out her name.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I recently came across an old, faded, sepia-toned 1940s photo of Mom and Aunt Rose.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • I acquired a jewel-toned blue tub, a Greek-style white gown, and a jar of sea salts.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • To achieve the desired effect, you need to tone the colors in your painting by adding a bit of gray.

Synonyms

to color
vsto tone
  • US
75 1.0

To make something a different shade by painting or dyeing

focuses on giving a particular hue or shade especially in art
to tinge
vsto tone
19 4.8

To add a small amount of color or feeling to something

implies a deliberate act of giving a particular hue or shade
to touch
vsto tone
15 5.5

To add a small amount of color to something

is about changing or assigning a particular hue across art and photos
to shade
vsto tone
8 3.9

To change something a little to make it less strong

is about assigning a specific hue rather than only small adjustments
to tint
vsto tone
6 3.6

To add a small amount of color to something

involves changing or giving a defined hue more generally
to recolor
vsto tone
  • US
1 3.4

To make something a different shade by painting, dyeing, or editing

is the general act of giving a particular hue rather than redoing it
to pigment
vsto tone
1 5.1

To add color to something by applying a colored substance or by natural change

is the act of assigning a chosen hue, not only providing raw coloring material
to tinct
vsto tone
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To give something a very light color

covers giving a clear or complete hue, not only a slight trace
to tonify
vsto tone
  • Specialized
9.9

To change the color of a black-and-white photo using a chemical

is broader, altering hues in art or photos by any method

Antonyms

454 1.2

To slowly become less visible, bright, or loud

30 3.2

To make something lighter in color, often using chemicals or sunlight

Idioms

Not able or willing to notice how other people feel

Phrasal Verbs

56 3.7

To make something less strong, for example a sound, color or feeling

Create a mood at the start of an event

4 3.8

To make muscles firmer and stronger by exercise

1 3.9

To make the skin look firmer and more even using skin care

Compounds

40 3.1

The way someone speaks that shows their feelings or mood

tone-deaf
  • Offensive
15 7.7

Not aware of other people's feelings or reactions

muscle tone
  • Specialized
9 3.4

A little tightness in resting muscles that keeps them ready to move

5 7.0

Unable to hear or sing the right notes in music

Not noticing or understanding other people's feelings in what they say

tone poem
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A piece for orchestra that tells a story or paints a scene

quarter tone
  • Specialized
1 8.7

A musical interval half the size of a semitone used in some modern and non-Western music

pure tone
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A steady sound with one clear pitch, like a tuning fork

A way of speaking that sounds happy and friendly

Unable to hear differences between musical notes

1 5.1

A calm even way of speaking that does not show strong feeling

tone police
  • Offensive
1 7.9

People who criticize how someone speaks instead of what they say

quarter-tone
  • Specialized
1 9.3

A small musical interval half a semitone used in some music

A way of speaking or writing that sounds too sweet and not real

12-tone music
  • Specialized
1 9.1

A way of writing music that uses all twelve notes in a fixed order

1 4.2

A normal relaxed way of speaking that sounds honest

head tone
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A high singing voice that feels like it rings in the head

passing tone
  • Specialized
1 7.8

A note played between two main notes to make the tune move smoothly

twelve-tone music
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A way of writing music that uses the twelve notes in a set order

whole tone
  • Specialized
1 6.6

An interval of two semitones used in many musical scales

tone system
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A way a language uses high or low voice to change word meaning

leading tone
  • Specialized
1 8.4

The seventh note of a scale that is one half step below the main note and pulls toward it

tone arm
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A light balanced arm on a record player that holds the needle and moves across a record

twelve-tone system
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A way of writing music that uses all twelve notes in one order

A way of speaking that is too friendly and seems not sincere

chest tone
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A low, rich voice sound that people feel in the chest

A soft, gentle voice that makes people feel calm

12-tone system
  • Specialized
9.3

A way of writing music that uses all twelve notes in a fixed order

partial tone
  • Specialized
7.7

A higher sound made when the main note vibrates a whole number of times

tarnal tone
  • Archaic
9.9

A harsh way of speaking that annoys people who hear it

tone language
  • Specialized
8.1

A language where changes in voice pitch make words mean different things

tone-beginning
  • Specialized
8.6

How a musical note begins, showing if it sounds clear or strong

How Tinted

dye
85 2.0
to tint
6 3.6
to tone
3 4.9
to fade
454 1.2
to bleach
30 3.2

Surface Forms

tone infinitive
toned past
toned past participle
toning present participle
tones third person singular

Etymology

The verb tone comes from the Greek tonos, which meant 'quality' or 'tension'. So to tone a photo or hair is to give it a particular shade or mood by changing its colour quality.