dovelike tone

6.9

A soft, gentle voice that makes people feel calm

noun

: tono de paloma

She used a dovelike tone to calm the worried patients in the waiting room.

Examples

With a dovelike tone, the teacher reassured the class after the loud thunderstorm.
His dovelike tone was perfect for the meditation session.
His dovelike tone made everyone feel safe and welcome during the meeting.
She spoke in a dovelike tone that calmed everyone down.
His dovelike tone made everyone feel safe and welcome during the meeting.
She used a dovelike tone to calm the worried patients in the waiting room.
With a dovelike tone, the teacher reassured the class after the loud thunderstorm.

Synonyms

softness

vsdovelike tone

1 1.6

A quiet, gentle sound, like a whisper or soft music

is more about soothing peaceful feeling than just low volume

level tone

vsdovelike tone

5.1

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

is warmer and soothing rather than emotionally flat and even

Antonyms

harsh

289 2.8

Unkind and too strict in what someone says or does to others

abrasiveness

1 7.0

A harsh, rude manner or tone that offends people

How Gentle

dovelike tone

6.9

level tone

5.1

Surface Forms

dovelike tone singular

dovelike tones plural

Morphology

dovelike + tone

The meaning is directly compositional: 'dovelike' (=having the gentle, peaceful qualities of a dove) qualifies 'tone' (the way of speaking), so the overall sense 'a gentle, soothing way of speaking' follows from the parts. This adjective+noun pattern is a regular, productive construction and a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The phrase dovelike tone comes from the image of a dove: doves make soft cooing sounds and are a sign of peace. So speaking in a dovelike tone means using a very gentle, soothing voice, i.e. 'a gentle, soothing way of speaking'.