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AP Tone Words
AP Lang. Tone Words
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Accusatory | Charging of wrongdoing |
| Ambivalent | Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas toward something or someone |
| Apathetic | Indifferent due to lack of energy or concern |
| Bitter | Exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief |
| Cynical | Questions the basic sincerity and goodness of people |
| Condescending | A feeling of superiority |
| Callous | Unfeeling, insensitive to feelings of others |
| Contemplative | Studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue |
| Critical | Finding fault |
| Choleric | Hot-tempered, easily angered |
| Contemptuous | Showing or feeling that something is worthless or lacks respect |
| Caustic | Intense use of sarcasm; stinging, biting |
| Conventional | Lacking spontaneity, originality, and individuality |
| Disdainful | Scornful |
| Didactic | Author attempts to educate or instruct the reader |
| Derisive | Ridiculing, mocking |
| Earnest | Intense, a sincere state of mind |
| Erudite | Learned, polished, scholarly |
| Fanciful | Using the imagination |
| Forthright | Directly frank without hesitation |
| Haughty | Proud and vain to the point of arrogance |
| Indignant | Marked by anger aroused by injustice |
| Intimate | Very familiar, close |
| Judgmental | Authoritative and often having critical opinions |
| Journalistic | Formal, objective |
| Jovial | Happy, cheerful, friendly |
| Lyrical | Expressing a writer’s inner feelings; emotional; full of images; song-like |
| Matter-of-fact | Accepting of conditions; not fanciful or emotional |
| Mocking | Treating with contempt or ridicule |
| Morose | Gloomy, sullen, surly, despondent |
| Malicious | Purposely hurtful |
| Objective | An unbiased view; able to leave personal judgements aside |
| Optimistic | Hopeful, cheerful, positive |
| Obsequious | Polite and obedient in order to gain something |
| Patronizing | Air of condescension; acting superior |
| Pessimistic | Seeing the worst side of things; no hope; negative |
| Quizzical | Odd, eccentric, amusing |
| Reverent | Treating a subject with honor and respect |
| Ridiculing | Slightly contemptuous banter; making fun of |
| Reflective | Illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions |
| Sarcastic | Sneering; caustic; mocking; harshly ironic |
| Sardonic | Scornfully and bitterly sarcastic |
| Satiric | Ridiculing to show weakness in order to make a point, teach |
| Sentimental | Overly emotional |
| Sincere | Without deceit or pretense; genuine; honest |
| Solemn | Deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection |
| Sanguineous | Optimistic, cheerful |
| Whimsical | Odd, strange fantastic; fun |