ACT: Words to Capture Tone: Words to Capture Tone, List 9

On the ACT Reading 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 comprehensive collection of common words used to describe an author's tone, and you'll be well prepared to tackle these questions.
13 words 26 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jaded
    bored or apathetic after experiencing too much of something
    “The tone and dialogue are cool, almost jaded, gesturing obliquely at the emotions roiling beneath the surface.” New York Times (Nov 12, 2020)
  2. judgmental
    relating to an assessment of a person, situation, or event
    It was easy to be judgmental then because I was riddled with preconceptions. The Guardian (Jun 22, 2020)
  3. laudatory
    full of or giving praise
    While initial reviews were laudatory, more substantive critiques emerged. Los Angeles Times (Nov 19, 2020)
  4. malicious
    having the nature of threatening evil
    "You are a vile, repulsive, repellent, malicious little brute!" the Trunchbull was shouting. Matilda
  5. cavalier
    showing a lack of concern or seriousness
    “His was a reckless and cavalier attitude to risk and one that we, the prosecution, would describe as grossly negligent.” The Guardian (May 23, 2016)
  6. melancholy
    characterized by or causing or expressing sadness
    The first movement is a melancholy, grief-stricken song. New York Times (Oct 13, 2020)
  7. melodramatic
    having excitement and emotional appeal
    Every year at Christmas, we wrote “books” for him, toiling for weeks over implausible plots and volumes of melodramatic poetry, our handwriting getting bigger and bigger in an effort to fill up our exercise books. The Guardian (Oct 13, 2020)
  8. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
    With just one phone call, Lawrence shifts from vaguely depressed to downright morose. New York Times (Oct 16, 2016)
  9. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
    “I don't want you to be naive. What kind of a mother would I be if I didn't try to teach my daughter about the world?” Starfish
  10. reserved
    marked by self-restraint and reticence
    I would consider myself otherwise to be a fairly average person: neither homely nor beautiful, rather quiet and reserved, no sparkling personality, but polite and pleasant. Washington Post (Nov 20, 2020)
  11. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    It is a grave and solemn place, over which hangs the threat of an inevitable doom. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
  12. restrained
    cool and formal in manner
    It’s one example of these stories’ restrained but always trenchant humor. Washington Post (Aug 13, 2020)
  13. negative
    characterized by denial or opposition or resistance
    He expressed a distinctly negative view toward Gawker, the people said. New York Times (Dec 13, 2020)
Created on Mon Jun 09 15:05:53 EDT 2025 (updated Mon Jun 09 15:06:40 EDT 2025)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.