PSAT: Words to Capture Tone: Negative and Critical Tones

In the Reading and Writing section of the test, you will almost certainly encounter questions that ask about an author's tone — that is, the author's attitude toward their subject matter. Master our collection of common words used to describe an author's tone, and you'll be well prepared to tackle these questions.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. accusatory
    containing or expressing blame
  2. angry
    feeling or showing extreme displeasure or hostility
  3. bitter
    causing a sharp and acrid taste experience
  4. cynical
    believing the worst of human nature and motives
  5. disdainful
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  6. hostile
    characterized by enmity or ill will
  7. ironic
    displaying incongruity between what is expected and what is
  8. mocking
    expressing contempt or ridicule
  9. sarcastic
    expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds
  10. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
Created on Thu Jun 05 11:03:23 EDT 2025 (updated Thu Jun 05 11:03:32 EDT 2025)

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