What does "tune" mean?

1. (a melody) a series of musical notes that are pleasant and easy to remember. 2. (a song) a piece of music, especially a popular song. 3. (correct pitch) the state of a musical instrument playing the right notes. 4. (to adjust an instrument) to adjust a musical instrument so it plays the correct notes. 5. (to adjust a machine) to adjust a machine or engine so it works as well as possible.

tune — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01a melody

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Music

n. a series of musical notes that are pleasant and easy to remember.

n. a sequence of musical notes that form a distinct melody or theme.

“I have a catchy tune stuck in my head after hearing it on the radio.”

“The composer took a simple folk tune and developed it into a complex orchestral movement.”

Synonyms

melody air theme

02a song

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Music Informal

n. a piece of music, especially a popular song.

n. a musical composition, often used informally to refer to a specific track or song.

“The DJ played a great tune and everyone started dancing.”

“The band performed several new tunes from their upcoming album during the soundcheck.”

Synonyms

song track piece

03correct pitch

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun Music

n. the state of a musical instrument playing the right notes.

n. the state of being at the correct pitch or frequency.

“The piano is out of tune and needs a professional to fix it.”

“The choir struggled to stay in tune during the difficult a cappella section of the performance.”

Usage

Commonly used in the phrases 'in tune' or 'out of tune'.

Synonyms

pitch harmony

04to adjust an instrument

B1 · Intermediate Music

v. to adjust a musical instrument so it plays the correct notes.

v. to adjust the pitch of a musical instrument to a standard or to other instruments.

“The guitarists spent a few minutes tuning their instruments before the show.”

“Before the concert began, the lead violinist played a concert A to help the rest of the orchestra tune.”

Synonyms

adjust calibrate

05to adjust a machine

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to adjust a machine or engine so it works as well as possible.

v. to adjust a mechanical or electronic device for optimal performance or frequency.

“He spent the weekend tuning his car engine for the upcoming race.”

“The technician had to tune the receiver to the correct frequency to eliminate the background static.”

Synonyms

calibrate fine-tune optimise

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “tune” in context.

Verb

01. carry a tune

“Although he loves music, he unfortunately cannot carry a tune at all.”

verb + noun

02. hum a tune

“She was humming a catchy tune while she worked in the garden.”

verb + noun

03. play a tune

“The pianist played a haunting tune that moved the entire audience to tears.”

verb + noun

04. whistle a tune

“The postman whistled a happy tune as he walked down the street.”

verb + noun

Adjective

05. catchy tune

“I've had that catchy tune stuck in my head all morning.”

adj + noun

06. familiar tune

“The band started playing a familiar tune, and everyone began to sing along.”

adj + noun

Preposition

07. in tune

“Make sure the guitar is perfectly in tune before the concert begins.”

prep + noun

08. out of tune

“The piano sounds terrible because several of the strings are out of tune.”

prep + noun

“No more playing catchy tunes to entertain young children.”

The Guardian 15 Aug 2026

“What happened to his Saturday Tunes, where he used to recommend new bands every week on Twitter?”

The Guardian 14 Aug 2026

From Middle English tune, an unexplained variant of tone, from Old French ton, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “a tone”). Doublet of tone, ton, and tonus.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

tune(B2)

tuner(B2)

tuning(B2)