tone down

tone

T0260100 (tōn)n.1. Music a. A sound of distinct pitch, quality, and duration; a note.b. The interval of a major second in the diatonic scale; a whole step.c. A recitational melody in a Gregorian chant.2. a. The quality or character of sound.b. The characteristic quality or timbre of a particular instrument or voice.3. a. The pitch of a word used to determine its meaning or to distinguish differences in meaning.b. The particular or relative pitch of a word, phrase, or sentence.4. Manner of expression in speech or writing: took an angry tone with the reporters.5. A general quality, effect, or atmosphere: a room with an elegant tone.6. a. A color or shade of color: light tones of blue.b. Quality of color: The green wallpaper had a particularly somber tone.7. The general effect in painting of light, color, and shade.8. Physiology a. The normal state of elastic tension or partial contraction in resting muscles.b. Normal firmness of a tissue or an organ.v. toned, ton·ing, tones v.tr.1. To give a particular tone or inflection to.2. To soften or change the color of (a painting or photographic negative, for example).3. To sound monotonously; intone.4. To make firmer or stronger. Often used with up: exercises that tone up the body.v.intr.1. To assume a particular color quality.2. To harmonize in color.Phrasal Verb: tone down To make less vivid, harsh, or violent; moderate.

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[Middle English ton, from Old French, from Latin tonus, from Greek tonos, string, a stretching; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]

tone down

vb (adverb) to moderate or become moderated in tone: to tone down an argument; to tone down a bright colour.

tone down

See: attenuation.

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	tone down - deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrappingdamp, mute, muffle, dampen, dullsoften - make (images or sounds) soft or softer
	2.	tone down - make less strong or intense; soften; "Tone down that aggressive letter"; "The author finally tamed some of his potentially offensive statements"tame, moderatealter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"

tone

noun1. A sound of distinct pitch and quality:timbre, tonality, tone color.2. A particular vocal quality that indicates some emotion or feeling:accent, inflection, intonation.Idiom: tone of voice.3. A distinctive way of expressing oneself:fashion, manner, mode, style, vein.4. A general impression produced by a predominant quality or characteristic:air, ambiance, atmosphere, aura, feel, feeling, mood, smell.5. A prevailing quality, as of thought, behavior, or attitude:climate, mood, spirit, temper.6. The property by which the sense of vision can distinguish between objects, as a red apple and a green apple, that are very similar or identical in form and size:color, hue, shade, tint.7. A shade of a color, especially a pale or delicate variation:cast, hue, tinge, tint.phrasal verb
tone down1. To make less emphatic or obvious:de-emphasize, play down.Informal: soft-pedal.2. To make or become less severe or extreme:moderate, mute, qualify, soften, subdue, tame, temper.

Translations

缓和

tone

(təun) noun1. (the quality of) a sound, especially a voice. He spoke in a low/angry/gentle tone; He told me about it in tones of disapproval; That singer/violin/piano has very good tone. 音調，語調 音调，语调 2. a shade of colour. various tones of green. 色調 色调3. firmness of body or muscle. Your muscles lack tone – you need exercise. 肌體的結實度 肌体的结实度4. in music, one of the larger intervals in an octave eg between C and D. 全音程 全音程 verb to fit in well; to blend. The brown sofa tones (in) well with the walls. 顏色和諧 颜色和谐ˈtonal adjective of musical tones. 音調的 音调的ˈtoneless adjective without tone; with no variation in sound etc. She spoke in a toneless voice. 無音調的 单调的，无音调的 ˈtonelessly adverb 單調地 单调地tone down to make or become softer, less harsh etc. He toned down some of his criticisms. 使柔和 缓和