atone
verb /əˈtəʊn/
/əˈtəʊn/
[intransitive] (formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they atone | /əˈtəʊn/ /əˈtəʊn/ |
| he / she / it atones | /əˈtəʊnz/ /əˈtəʊnz/ |
| past simple atoned | /əˈtəʊnd/ /əˈtəʊnd/ |
| past participle atoned | /əˈtəʊnd/ /əˈtəʊnd/ |
| -ing form atoning | /əˈtəʊnɪŋ/ /əˈtəʊnɪŋ/ |
- atone (for something) to act in a way that shows you are sorry for doing something wrong in the past synonym make amends
- to atone for a crime
- a desire to atone
Word OriginMiddle English (originally in the sense ‘make or become united or reconciled’, rare before the 16th cent.): from at one in early use; later by back-formation from atonement.