Words used to describe Tone in Poetry; Best High School English Poetry Notes

Words used to describe Tone in Poetry; Best High School English Poetry Notes

WORDS USED TO DESCRIBE TONE IN POETRY
	WORD		MEANING
1.	Apathetic		Feeling/ showing little emotion
2.	Arrogant		Bumptious/ self-important
3.	Audacious		Fearless and daring
4.	Bilious		Bad tempered; cross
5.	Blithe		Joyful, cheerful, or without appropriate thought
6	Bombastic		Pompous/ arrogant in speech and manner
7.	Brash		Prone to act in a hasty manner; impudent
8.	Breezy		Lively, cheerful and relaxed
9.	Cantankerous		Bad-tempered; quarrelsome
10.	Caustic/ sarcastic		Biting/ bitter and humorous
11.	Coarse		Conspicuously and tastelessly indecent/ offensive
12.	Complacent		Self-satisfied; smug
13.	Confiding		With trust or faith
14.	Consoling		Affording comfort or solace
15.	Contemptuous		Feeling of hatred; scornful
16.	Contentious		Argumentative; causing controversy/ quarrel/ disagreement
17.	Contented		Satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are
18.	Contradictory		Expressing the opposite; inconsistent
19.	Cynical		Questions the basic sincerity and goodness of people.
20.	Dejected		Downcast or sad; depressed
21.	Dismissive		Show little regard; scornful
22.	Doleful		Mournful or full of sorrow
23.	Dutiful		Obedient
24.	Elegiac		Expressing sorrow or lamentation
25.	Euphoric		Exaggerated feeling of well-being or elation/ joy/delight
26.	Fanciful		Whimsical; freely imaginative based on fantasy not reality
27.	Fervent		Very emotional/ earnest, passionate; extremely hot
28.	Frenetic		Frantic; frenzied/ overexcited/ hysterical
29.	Flippant		Humorous in a disrespectful, casual; rudely amusing/witty.
30.	Frivolous		Of little importance, not worthy of serious attention; not serious
31.	Pessimistic		Gloomy/ negative/ doubtful/ cynical/ distrustful/ suspicious
32.	Haughty		Arrogant, excessively proud and vain
33.	Illusory		Misleading, deceptive; unrealistic
34.	Laconic		Brief, using few words
35.	Macabre		Grisly, horrible, distressing; having death as a subject
36.	Melancholy		Depressed/ downhearted
37.	Nihilistic		Belief that traditional values are useless/ senseless
38.	Panegyric		Elaborate praise
39.	Opprobrious		(For conduct or character) bringing or deserving disgrace/shame
40.	Nostalgic		Longing for the past
41.	Admiring		Appreciative
42.	Aggressive		Violent
43.	Aggravated		Irritated/ provoked
44.	Contemptuous/ derisive		Scornful/ condescending/ mocking
45.	Pitiful		Miserable
46.	Resigned		Leave out/ surrendered/ prepared to accept
47.	Threatening		Intimidating
48.	Uncertain		Unclear/ unsure
49.	Subdued		Submissive/ gentle
50.	Sympathetic		Compassionate/ considerate
POSITIVE TONE WORDS				NEUTRAL	NEGATIVE TONE WORDS
Admiring		Hilarious		Commanding	Abhorring	Hostile
Adoring		Hopeful		Direct	Acerbic	Impatient
Affectionate		Humorous		Impartial	Ambiguous	Incredulous
Appreciative		Interested		Indirect	Ambivalent	Indifferent
Approving		Introspective		Meditative	Angry	Indignant
Bemused		Jovial		Objective	Annoyed	Inflammatory
Benevolent		Joyful		Questioning	Antagonistic	Insecure
Blithe		Laudatory		Speculative	Anxious	Insolent
Calm		Light		Unambiguous	Apathetic	Irreverent
Casual		Lively		Unconcerned	Apprehensive	Lethargic
Celebratory		Mirthful		Understated	Belligerent	Melancholy
Cheerful		Modest			Bewildered	Mischievous
Comforting		Nostalgic			Biting	Miserable
Comic		Optimistic			Bitter	Mocking
Compassionate		Passionate			Blunt	Mournful
Complimentary		Placid			Bossy	Nervous
Conciliatory		Playful			Cold	Ominous
Confident		Poignant			Conceited	Outraged
Contented		Proud			Condescending	Paranoid
Delightful		Reassuring			Curt	Pathetic
Earnest		Reflective			Cynical	Patronizing
Ebullient		Relaxed			Demanding	Pedantic
Effusive		Respectful			Depressed	Pensive
Elated		Reverent			Derisive	Pessimistic
Empathetic		Romantic			Derogatory	Pretentious
Excited		Sanguine			Desolate	Psychotic
Exhilarated		Scholarly			Despairing	Resigned
Expectant		Self-assured			Desperate	Reticent
Facetious		Sentimental			Detached	Sarcastic
Fervent		Serene			Diabolic	Sardonic
Flippant		Silly			Disappointed	Scornful
Forthright		Sprightly			Disliking	Self-deprecating
Friendly		Straightforward			Disrespectful	Selfish
Funny		Sympathetic			Doubtful	Serious
Gleeful		Tender			Embarrassed	Severe
Gushy		Tranquil			Enraged	Sinister
Happy		Whimsical			Evasive	Skeptical
		Wistful			Fatalistic	Sly
		Worshipful			Forceful	Solemn
		Zealous			Foreboding	Stern
					Frantic	Stolid
					Frightened	Stressful
					Frustrated	Strident
					Furious	Suspicious
					Gloomy	Tense
					Grave	Threatening
					Greedy	Tragic
					Grim	Uncertain
					Harsh	Uneasy
					Haughty	Unfriendly
					Hopeless	Unsympathetic
						Upset
						Violent
						Wry

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TERMS USED TO DESCRIBE MOOD
POSITIVE MOOD WORDS		NEGATIVE MOOD WORDS
Amused	Jubilant	Aggravated	Insidious
Awed	Liberating	Annoyed	Intimidated
Bouncy	Light-hearted	Anxious	Irate
Calm	Loving	Apathetic	Irritated
Cheerful	Mellow	Apprehensive	Jealous
Chipper	Nostalgic	Ambivalent	Lethargic
Confident	Optimistic	Barren	Lonely
Contemplative	Passionate	Brooding	Melancholic
Determined	Peaceful	Cold	Merciless
Dignified	Playful	Confining	Moody
Dreamy	Pleased	Confused	Morose
Ecstatic	Refreshed	Cranky	Nauseated
Empowered	Rejuvenated	Crushed	Nervous
Excited	Relaxed	Cynical	Nightmarish
Exhilarated	Relieved	Depressed	Numb
Flirty	Satiated	Desolate	Overwhelmed
Giddy	Satisfied	Disappointed	Painful
Grateful	Sentimental	Discontented	Pensive > thoughtful
Harmonious	Silly	Distressed	Pessimistic
Hopeful	Surprised	Drained	Predatory> greedy
Hyper	Sympathetic	Dreary	Rejected
Idyllic	Thankful	Embarrassed	Restless
Joyous	Thoughtful	Enraged	Scared
	Touched	Envious	Serious
	Trustful	Exhausted	Sick
	Vivacious	Fatalistic	Somber
	Warm	Foreboding	Stressed
	Welcoming	Frustrated	Suspenseful
		Futile	Tense
		Gloomy	Terrifying
		Grumpy	Threatening
		Haunting	Uncomfortable
		Heartbroken	Vengeful
		Hopeless	Violent
		Hostile	Worried
		Indifferent
		Infuriated

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