Monotonal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Exhibiting a sound or speech consistent in pitch without changes
2. Producing or characterized by a consistent single pitch without variation in sound or voice
3. Describing speech or sound that remains uniform in pitch without modulation

Etymology: "Monotonal" is a straightforward compound: the Greek-derived prefix "mono-", meaning "single" or "one," joined to "tonal," which comes from "tone," ultimately from Greek "tonos," meaning "stretching" or "tension," as in the tension of a string or voice. Put together, the word describes something built on one tone. The prefix does most of the work here. "Mono-" appears in many English coinages, from "monologue" to "monochrome," and attaching it to "tonal" simply narrows the sense to a single pitch level. Because "tonal" already carries the idea of pitch and key, "monotonal" can be read at a glance without any special background.

Synonyms: monochromatic, uniform, flat

Antonyms: varied, dynamic, colorful