tune

1 of 2

noun

ˈtün 

ˈtyün

1

a

: a pleasing succession of musical tones : melody

b

: a dominant theme

2

: correct musical pitch or consonance

—used chiefly in the phrases in tune and out of tune

3

a

: agreement, harmony

in tune with the times

b

: general attitude : approach

changed his tune when the going got rough

c

archaic : a frame of mind : mood

4

: amount, extent

custom-made to the tune of $40 to $50 apiece

—Amer. Fabrics

5

a

: manner of utterance : intonation

specifically : phonetic modulation

b

archaic : quality of sound : tone

tune

2 of 2

verb

tuned; tuning

transitive verb

1

: to adjust in musical pitch or cause to be in tune

tuned her guitar

2

a

: to bring into harmony : attune

b

: to adjust for precise functioning

—often used with up

tune up an engine

c

: to make more precise, intense, or effective

3

: to adjust with respect to resonance at a particular frequency: such as

a

: to adjust (a radio or television receiver) to respond to waves of a particular frequency

—often used with in

b

: to establish radio contact with

tune in a directional beacon

4

: to adjust the frequency of the output of (a device) to a chosen frequency or range of frequencies

also : to alter the frequency of (radiation)

intransitive verb

1

: to become attuned

2

: to adjust a radio or television receiver to respond to waves of a particular frequency

Synonyms

Noun

• air
• lay
• melody
• song
• strain
• warble

Examples of tune in a Sentence

Noun

hummed a little tune while I sorted the laundry

your negative assessment of the restaurant seems to be in tune with the opinions of the critics

Verb

The piano needs to be tuned.

We tuned our bikes before the road trip.

The mechanic tuned the engine.

The copilot tuned the radio to hear the message.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Roberts may be singing a different tune if the Dodgers find themselves out of contention and Snell once again refuses to pitch. —Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024

In 2024, the tune added three more stints on top to its growing record—at least so far. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024

Verb

Whether celebrated or critiqued, the Miura's transformation is powered by the immense talent of the tuning company. —David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024

Gumbel was a familiar on-air presence for football and basketball fans who tuned into CBS’ coverage of everything from in-season games to the March Madness tournament to the Super Bowl. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 28 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tune, tuin, tewne "musical sound, melody, key of a musical composition," borrowed from Anglo-French tun, ton, tuen tone entry 1

Note: In Middle English tune is effectively a variant of tone, but both forms are irregular outcomes of their Anglo-French sources (see note at tone entry 1). In the case of tune, the vowel nucleus seems to have fallen together with the outcomes of the French diphthong ui, as in june and puny.

Verb

derivative of tune entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5b

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing tune

• auto-tune
• call the tune
• change one's tune
• dance to someone's tune
• dance to the tune of (someone)
• fine-tune
• he who pays the piper calls the tune
• in tune
• out of tune
• show tune
• sing a different tune
• to the tune of
• tune in
• tune out
• tune-up

Kids Definition

tune

1 of 2 noun

ˈt(y)ün 

1

: a succession of pleasing musical tones : melody

2

: correct musical pitch or consonance

the piano was not in tune

3

: agreement sense 1b, harmony

in tune with the times

4

: general attitude

changed their tune after reading the report

tune

2 of 2 verb

tuned; tuning

1

: to adjust in musical pitch

tuned my guitar

the orchestra was tuning up

2

: to come or bring into harmony

3

: to adjust a radio or television so that it receives clearly

—often used with in

4

: to put (as an engine) in good working order

—often used with up