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tone

noun [S] (GENERAL MOOD)
 
 
/təʊn/ US  /toʊn/

Definition

C2 the general mood or main qualities of something: I didn't like the jokey tone of the article - I thought it inappropriate. Trust you to lower the tone of the evening by telling vulgar jokes, Martin! Well, I thought it might raise the moral tone of the evening if I invited a vicar to the party. He was in a very bad mood when he arrived, and that set the tone for the whole meeting.Moods
(Definition of tone noun (GENERAL MOOD) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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