ENGLISH
REFERENCE

monotone

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈmɑnəˌtoʊn// UK //mˈɒnətˌəʊn// mono·tone

n. a voice that stays at the same level and does not change. It can also describe a style of speaking that is boring because it never gets excited or quiet.

n. a voice or style of speaking that lacks variation in pitch or tone. Often used to describe a delivery that is perceived as dull or unemotional.


SIMPLE

The teacher's monotone made it hard for the students to stay awake.

CONTEXTUAL

The speaker's monotone delivery failed to engage the audience, leading to a noticeable drop in attendance for the second half of the lecture.

COMPLEX

While the poet intended to evoke a sense of quiet reflection, the actor's monotone performance stripped the verses of their emotional weight and rhythmic complexity.

Synonyms
Origin

From the post-Classical Latin monotonus (“unvarying in tone”) or its etymon the Ancient Greek μονότονος (monótonos, “steady”, “unwavering”); compare cognate adjectives, namely the French monotone, the German monoton, the Italian monotono, and the Spanish monótono, as well as the slightly earlier English noun monotony and adjective monotonical.

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