Definition of intonate in English:
intonate
verb ˈɪntəneɪtˈɪn(t)əˌneɪt
Say or recite with little rise and fall of the pitch of the voice.
Example sentencesExamples
- Because of this we weren't unduly concerned, but we did begin to notice that he intonates in the wrong places and some people have trouble understanding him.
- ‘You don't wonder in the least bit,’ he said, intonating words in the phrase to make it more alluring and memorable, ‘if they're discussing Father?’
- Lyrical banalities such as ‘falling apart at the seams,’ ‘it's amazing,’ and ‘life's so hard’ clutter Smith's timeless themes, yet she is able to intonate even the most prosaic lines with a melodic hook that has me singing along.
- The man has a way with words and language and though he so typically plays a type - the rich but emotionally challenged Brit - the way he twists and intonates words is a source of intoxication.
- When the phone rings, or when someone walks in that he knows, he intonates differently.
- She gently intonates the high notes in order to allow the full bass to emanate crisply and without effort.
Origin
Late 18th century: from medieval Latin intonat- 'intoned', from the verb intonare (see intone).
Definition of intonate in US English:
intonate
verbˈin(t)əˌnātˈɪn(t)əˌneɪt
Say or recite with little rise and fall of the pitch of the voice.
Example sentencesExamples
- Because of this we weren't unduly concerned, but we did begin to notice that he intonates in the wrong places and some people have trouble understanding him.
- ‘You don't wonder in the least bit,’ he said, intonating words in the phrase to make it more alluring and memorable, ‘if they're discussing Father?’
- She gently intonates the high notes in order to allow the full bass to emanate crisply and without effort.
- The man has a way with words and language and though he so typically plays a type - the rich but emotionally challenged Brit - the way he twists and intonates words is a source of intoxication.
- Lyrical banalities such as ‘falling apart at the seams,’ ‘it's amazing,’ and ‘life's so hard’ clutter Smith's timeless themes, yet she is able to intonate even the most prosaic lines with a melodic hook that has me singing along.
- When the phone rings, or when someone walks in that he knows, he intonates differently.
Origin
Late 18th century: from medieval Latin intonat- ‘intoned’, from the verb intonare (see intone).