overtone
noun
over·tone
| \ ˈō-vər-ˌtōn
\
\
Definition of overtone
1a
: one of the higher tones produced simultaneously with the fundamental and that with the fundamental comprise a complex musical tone : harmonic sense 1a
b
: harmonic sense 2
2
: the color of the light reflected (as by a paint)
3
: a secondary effect, quality, or meaning : suggestion, connotation
Examples of overtone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Both disputes have generational, geographic and economic overtones that also reflect the candidates themselves. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Scooters, housing drive San Diego mayoral campaign dispute," 31 July 2019 Brexit overtones to the debacle In his Twitter comments Tuesday, Mr. Trump combined criticism of Darroch with a broadside at May, chiding the British leader for failing to get her Brexit deal with the European Union through Parliament. — CBS News, "Sir Kim Darroch, U.K. Ambassador to U.S., resigns over leaked cables disparaging Trump," 10 July 2019 While White and Welty are lyrical in their evocation of automotive odysseys back then, Guinn doesn’t overlook the darker overtones of his story. — Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, "Henry Ford and Thomas Edison steered Americans toward a love of road trips," 28 July 2019 In November, the brand cancelled a high-profile runway show in China after consumers objected to racist overtones in its promotional video that featured an Asian model attempting to eat Italian food with chopsticks. — Los Angeles Times, "Dolce & Gabbana extends offerings to include sizes 14 to 18," 25 July 2019 His debut feature film, Brick (2005), was a crime drama with film noir overtones, largely inspired by the works of Dashiell Hammett and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Rian Johnson trades in lightsabers for postmodern whodunnit Knives Out," 2 July 2019 But the hiring process quickly took on racial overtones when Singh criticized the quality of the talent pool in Camden, which is largely black, Latino and Asian. — Susan Schmidt, ProPublica, "Meet the Congressman Defending Questionable Tax Breaks for a Company Connected to His Rich Brother," 2 July 2019 Uber and Lyft have overtones of the wacky days of the dot-com bubble, when sketchy business plans and big losses were an active selling point. — James Mackintosh, WSJ, "Uber Has Poisoned an IPO Market That Was Sick Anyway," 14 May 2019 But on Tuesday, the blatantly racist overtones of Barr's tweet targeting Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett were undeniable. — Andrea Mandell, USA TODAY, "Inside Roseanne Barr’s history of offensive tweets," 29 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overtone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for overtone
overtone
noun
English Language Learners Definition of overtone
: an idea or quality that is suggested without being said directly
: a very small amount of something
music
: a higher tone that is part of the sound of a musical note
See the full definition for overtone in the English Language Learners Dictionary
overtone
noun
over·tone
| \ ˈō-vər-ˌtōn
\
\
Medical Definition of overtone
: one of the higher tones produced simultaneously with the fundamental and that with the fundamental comprise a complex musical tone
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