tune
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tune¹
- /tjuːn/ UK
- /tʃuːn/ UK
- /tuːn/ US
- /tɪu̯n/ Canada, Wales
Sounds like chewn (yod-coalescence), toon (yod-dropping) · Rhymes with -uːn
Where it comes from
From Middle English tune, an unexplained variant of tone, from Old French ton, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “a tone”). Doublet of tone, ton, and tonus.
noun tunes · chune · toon
- A melody. Eric played a catchy tune on his acoustic guitar and Alyssa played the drums.
- A song, or short musical composition.
- The act of tuning or maintenance. Your engine needs a good tune.
- The state or condition of being correctly tuned. Your engine is now in tune.
- Temper; frame of mind.
- A sound; a note; a tone. Pray you now, if it may the ſtand with the tune of your voices, that I may bee Conſull, I haue heere the Cuſtomarie Gowne.
- Order; harmony; concord. A child will learn three times as much when he is in tune, as when he […] is dragged unwillingly to [his task].
interjection chune · toon
- Used to show appreciation or approval of a song. You heard the new Rizzle Kicks song? — Tune!
verb tunes · tuning · tuned · chune · toon
- To adjust (a musical instrument) so that it produces the correct pitches. to tune a piano or a violin
- To adjust or modify (especially a mechanical or electrical device) so that it functions optimally. Tuning the engine gave me an extra twenty horsepower.
-
To adjust the frequency of a transmitter or receiver, such as on a radio or TV transmitter or receiver, so as to send or receive an electromagnetic signal through a desired frequency band or channel.
Tune to Channel 6 for all your favourite daytime shows.
Similar: tune in
- Of faculties, senses, etc.: to adapt to or direct towards a particular target. My ears were tuned to the sounds of the forest.
- To make more precise, intense, or effective; to put into a proper state or disposition. [H]ee hath incurred the euerlaſting diſpleaſure of the King, who had euen tun'd his bounty to ſing happineſſe to him.
- To produce a particular quality of voice by adjusting singing voice synthesis software. […] Those who are highly skilled in manipulating the Vocaloid technology—e.g., tuning Miku's singing voices—arrange existing[…]
- To adjust the frequency of a transmitter or receiver, such as on a radio or TV transmitter or receiver, so as to send or receive an electromagnetic signal through a desired frequency band or channel.
- To attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious. For now to ſorrow must I tune my ſong, / And ſet my Harpe to notes of ſaddeſt wo, […]
- To give a certain tone or character to.
- To set (lyrics) to music. Ginsberg sang some poems from William Blake which he had "tuned".
- To sing with melody or harmony. To ſee great Hercules whipping a Gigge, / And profound Sallomon to tune a Iigge.
- To be impudent towards; to cheek. Are you tuning me?
Tune²
proper noun Tunes
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: melody, tune up, line, strain, air, melodic line, melodic phrase, singing, song, tone, attuned, chanson, chorus, rhythm, music, lilt
Translations
Every language
noun melody
| Español | melodía |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 곡 gok, 곡조 gokjo, 악곡 akgok, 선율 seonyul |
| 日本語 | 曲 kyoku, チューン chūn, 楽曲 gakkyoku, 旋律 senritsu |
| 中文 | 曲調 /曲调 qǔdiào, 曲子 qǔzi, 樂曲 /乐曲 yuèqǔ |
| हिन्दी | धुन dhun |
| Português | melodia |
| Français | mélodie, air |
| Deutsch | Melodie |
| Italiano | melodia |
| Ελληνικά | μελωδία melodía |
| Română | melodie |
| Русский | мело́дия melódija, моти́в motív, напе́в napév |
| Tiếng Việt | điệu nhạc, âm điệu |
| العربية | لَحْن laḥn |
| עברית | מַנְגִּינָה manginá |
noun song, short musical composition
| Español | tonada |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | धुन dhun |
| Italiano | composizione |
| Русский | мело́дия melódija |
| עברית | שִׁיר shir |
noun informal: act of tuning
| Português | tunar |
|---|---|
| Italiano | regolazione, messa a punto |
| Русский | настро́йка nastrójka |
noun state of being correctly tuned
| Русский | настро́енный nastrójennyj |
|---|
intj Translations
| Español | temazo |
|---|
verb to adjust the frequency on a radio or TV set, so as to receive the desired channel
| Español | sintonizar |
|---|---|
| Português | sintonizar |
| Français | syntoniser |
verb to make more precise, intense, or effective
| Español | afinar, tunear |
|---|---|
| Português | afinar, ajustar |
| Italiano | affinare |
verb to adjust a musical instrument
| Español | afinar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 조율하다 joyulhada |
| 中文 | 調音 /调音 tiáoyīn |
| Português | afinar |
| Français | accorder |
| Deutsch | stimmen |
| Italiano | accordare |
| Ελληνικά | κουρδίζω kourdízo |
verb to adjust (e.g. a mechanical or electrical device) so that it functions optimally
| Español | afinar, tunear |
|---|---|
| Português | ajustar |
| Italiano | regolare, registrare, mettere a punto |
Talk about this word "tune." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tune. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tune. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tune "tune." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tune.Cite this
@misc{tune_2026,
title = {tune},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tune},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
