high-toned

adjective

Definition of high-tonednext
1
as in highbrow

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in sententious

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of high-toned Chilling this wine brings out the elegance, aromatics and lends a high-toned aspect to the fruit. — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 The gambit that Shelley somehow comes to possess her fictional creation is sustained, as Ida alternates between a very American dialect and a more high-toned British accent. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026 The coastal Mediterranean meets West Indies vibe feels right at home in South Florida, and the refined yet relaxed decor is similarly suited to the locale’s high-toned but low-key environment. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2025 That’s just the latest accolade for the Yorba Linda municipal course that continually scores above its weight in a high-toned category. — Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 Blake is accused of having drifted into high-toned seriousness; Albert, now writing for television, is branded a sellout. — Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2025 Bright high-toned notes of cherry and strawberry show on the palate with an intriguing texture that hints at a bit of tannin. — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-toned
  1. highbrow
  2. sententious
  3. cerebral
  4. high-minded
  5. intellectual
  6. grandiloquent
  7. civilized
  8. pretentious
Adjective
  • This has been a stand-out summer for highbrow discourse about Homeric adaptations.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The amenities are highbrow in all the right ways, from the custom Eckhaus Latta bathrobes to the bags of Bjorn Qorn in the minibar.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of highbrow
Adjective
  • Even in the fixedness of their forms—their sententious certitude—a single work may conflate the erotic and the machinic, the vernacular and the archetypal, the abstract and the practical.
    — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • This conclusion will shock anyone who knows Twain only through his writing, in which the author is wise and witty and, above all, devastating in his portrayal of frauds, cretins, and sententious bores.
    — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Definition of sententious
Adjective
  • If fluid starts pooling in your lungs (known as high-altitude pulmonary edema) or in your brain (high-altitude cerebral edema), get medical attention as soon as possible.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Japan has selected Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s luminously cerebral French-language feature All of a Sudden as its submission for the best international feature category at the 99th Academy Awards.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of cerebral
Adjective
  • Sure, high-minded series about radical inventions and space exploration fit the brand of a sleek, cool, tech company shilling prestige TV.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For this is the unintentionally funny story of what happens when utterly unhinged and high-minded hubris becomes your guiding light.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of high-minded
Adjective
  • Current data show that excessive screen time and overreliance on tools like AI hinder children's intellectual and emotional development.
    — Michael Chavira, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Either way, the momentum continues the following day when Mercury meets with Uranus retrograde in Gemini, offering a surge of intellectual clarity on the heels of that Neptunian fog.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of intellectual
Adjective
  • There was Coppola’s over-the-top defense of his friend with a grandiloquent gesture (Tanen declined to sell).
    — Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Reform—Within Reason Malthus aimed to puncture Godwin’s grandiloquent progressivism.
    — Roy Scranton, JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of grandiloquent
Adjective
  • At least in civilized society, which is what Screencaps Nation is all about.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Leave it in its normal mode and the SQ5 behaves like a civilized luxury crossover.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of civilized
Adjective
  • Breaking down the song of the summer debate Music reviewers on social media are, more often than not, pretentious snobs who take themselves too seriously, but Mic The Snare is a welcome change of pace.
    — Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • By applying a jammy, near-Baduist flow to the sequencing, Zay can cogently dissect 10 ideas in one three-minute song without sounding crowded or, worse, pretentious.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026
Definition of pretentious

Browse Nearby Words

high-ticket
high-toned
high-voltage
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Cite this Entry

“High-toned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-toned. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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