Library / English Dictionary

INTONATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm

Example:

The rabbi chanted a prayer

Synonyms:

cantillate; chant; intonate; intone

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "intonate" is one way to...):

sing (produce tones with the voice)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "intonate"):

singsong (speak, chant, or declaim in a singsong)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

intonation (the production of musical tones (by voice or instrument); especially the exactitude of the pitch relations)

intonation (the act of singing in a monotonous tone)

intonation (singing by a soloist of the opening piece of plainsong)

intonation (rise and fall of the voice pitch)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Speak carefully, as with rising and falling pitch or in a particular tone

Example:

please intonate with sadness

Synonyms:

intonate; intone

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "intonate" is one way to...):

judge; label; pronounce (pronounce judgment on)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

intonation (rise and fall of the voice pitch)

tone ((linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages)

tone (the quality of a person's voice)

Credits