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 | ||||||
| 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 | |||