Bunch of Words to Help Describe Your Unique Author's Tone

Words to Help You Describe Your Unique Author’s Tone

Many Words to Help Describe Your Unique Author’s Tone

Let’s define what the author’s tone is and what is its purpose real quick.

What is Author’s Tone?

“Author’s tone is simply an author’s attitude toward a particular written subject.” – Source

You can use the author’s tone to give the reader a notion of how the author feels about the subject matter they are writing.

If they like the subject matter you might see an excited tone in the writing. If they despise the people and the subject they are writing about you might see more of a bitter or belligerent tone.

Don’t confuse the author’s tone with the author’s voice. To distinguish the two you might say the author’s tone is their attitude toward the subject matter.

The author’s voice is their own writing personality that they bring to each piece overall or individually. An author’s tone will change with the subject matter. Their specific writer’s voice might not change at all or it will grow and mature over a long period of writing.

The best way to determine tone is by understanding how the author feels about the subject matter. The reader’s mood while reading the writing does not affect the author’s tone. The author will likely try to set the mood, but it will not directly persuade their tone. It is more the reverse. The author’s tone may persuade the reader’s mood and thus the mood of the writing.

It is important to note that genre can and will often affect tone, thus mood. If you are formal writing your tone should be professional. If you are creative writing your tone can be more subjective and ebb and flow depending on the subject.
If you are telling a story your tone might slightly change when you introduce a world setting that is deplorable and despicable. When you talk about a celebration and old friends reuniting for the first time in years your tone might change to more jovial and joyous.

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Abashed – ashamed or embarrassed

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

Admonishing – cautioning, reproving, or scolding

Adoring – to regard with esteem, love, and respect

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

Bewildered – completely puzzled or confused

Biting – having a sarcastic tone

Bitter – angry; acrimonious; antagonistic; spiteful; nasty

Blunt – abrupt in manner

Bold – courageous and daring

Brusque – blunt; rough

Callous – cruel disregard; unfeeling; uncaring; indifferent; ruthless

Calm – tranquil

Candid – truthful, straightforward; honest; unreserved

Caustic – making biting, corrosive comments; critical

Cautionary – gives warning; raises awareness; reminding

Celebratory – praising; pay tribute to; glorify; honor

Chatty – informal; lively; conversational; familiar

Cheery – in good spirits; happy

Churlish – critical or harsh

Colloquial – familiar; everyday language; informal; colloquial; casual

Comic – humorous; witty; entertaining; diverting

Commanding – having an air of superiority

Compassionate – sympathetic; empathetic; warm-hearted; tolerant; kind

Complex – having many varying characteristics; complicated

Compliant – agree or obey rules; acquiescent; flexible; submissive

Conceited – having an excessively favorable opinion of one’s self or abilities

Concerned – worried; anxious; apprehensive

Conciliatory – intended to placate or pacify; appeasing

Condescending – stooping to the level of one’s inferiors; patronizing

Confused – unable to think clearly; bewildered; vague

Contemptuous – showing contempt; scornful; insolent; mocking

Contentious – argumentative

Critical – finding fault; disapproving; scathing; criticizing

Cruel – causing pain and suffering; unkind; spiteful; severe

Curious – wanting to find out more; inquisitive; questioning

Curt – rudely brief in speech

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

Desperate – having an urgent need or desire

Detached – aloof; objective; unfeeling; distant

Diabolic – devilish; fiendish; outrageously wicked

Dignified – serious; respectful; formal; proper

Diplomatic – tactful; subtle; sensitive; thoughtful

Disapproving – displeased; critical; condemnatory

Disheartening – discouraging; demoralizing; 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

Ebullient – overflowing with enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited

Ecstatic – in a state of ecstasy; rapturous

Effusive – unreserved or unduly demonstrative

Egotistical – self-absorbed; selfish; conceited; boastful

Elated – very happy or proud; jubilant

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

Functional – to be practical and useful, rather than attractive

Generous – showing kindness toward others

Gentle – kind; considerate; mild; soft

Ghoulish – delighting in the revolting or the loathsome

Grim – serious; gloomy; depressing; lacking humor; macabre

Gullible – naïve; innocent; ignorant

Hard – unfeeling; hard-hearted; unyielding

Hilarious – boisterously merry

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

Instrumental – pursuing an aim or policy

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

Justified – having, done for, or marked by a good or legitimate reason

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; groveling

Optimistic – hopeful; cheerful

Outraged – angered and resentful; furious; extremely angered

Outspoken – frank; candid; spoken without reserve

Pathetic – expressing pity, sympathy, tenderness

Patronizing – 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

Skeptical – disbelieving; unconvinced; doubting

Solemn – not funny; in earnest; serious

Straightforward – uncomplicated and easy to do or understand

Subjective – prejudiced; biased

Submissive – compliant; passive; accommodating; obedient

Sulking – bad-tempered; grumpy; resentful; sullen

Sympathetic – compassionate; understanding of how someone feels

Technical – relating to a particular subject, art, or craft, or its techniques

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

Venturesome – willing to take risks or embark on difficult or unusual courses of action

Vindictive – vengeful; spiteful; bitter; unforgiving

Virtuous – lawful; righteous; moral; upstanding

Warmhearted – sympathetic and kind

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

Xenophilic – attracted to foreign peoples, manners, or cultures

Zestful – characterized by great enthusiasm and energy

Zealous – having or showing zeal; passion toward certain ideas, people, or places

A Whole Lot of Words to Help Describe Your Unique Author’s Tone

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That’s all for now.

Hope this helps!

Happy writing!

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So Many Words to Help Describe Your Unique Author’s Tone

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Lots and Lots of Words to Help Describe Your Unique Author’s Tone

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