Phrase guide

muscle tone

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles, which helps maintain posture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: medicine, physiology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

normal tonicity of the muscles

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • exercise improves muscle tone

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: muscular tonus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tonicity, tonus, tone

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 肌張力 /肌张力 (jīzhānglì) — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Finnish: jänteys — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Finnish: lihasjänteys — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Finnish: tonus — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • French: tonus musculaire — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • German: Muskeltonus — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Hungarian: izomtónus — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Irish: teannas matán — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Japanese: 筋緊張 (sujikinchō) — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Northern Kurdish: tonusa masûlkeyan — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Portuguese: tônus muscular — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Romanian: tonus muscular — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Russian: тон (ton) — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Spanish: tono muscular — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles
  • Ukrainian: м'я́зови́й то́нус (mʺjázovýj tónus) — the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles