monotone
/ˈmɒnətəʊn
/noun [usually in singular]
A continuing sound, especially of a person’s voice, that is unchanging in pitch and without intonation: he sat and answered the questions in a monotone...
- His narration - delivered in a monotone from the first frame - holds you in thrall through all the twists, surprises and ironies of the plot, all skilfully handled, I thought.
- Not looking in any way alarmed or surprised, he asked me in a monotone: ‘Do you want to file a report with the campus police?’
- The only problem was that the priest delivered the liturgy in a monotone.
adjective
1(Of a voice or other sound) unchanging in pitch; without intonation or expressiveness: his monotone reading of the two-hour report...
- Its normally monotone voice sounded distant and weak.
- A loud bell sounded and then a monotone voice announced there was an assembly in the theater.
- His voice was monotone and his expression blank.
1.1Without colour or variety; dull: the monotone housing estates of the big cities...
- He despised the dull monotone hum of life in the small town of Spring Valley, now at least a few miles behind him.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from modern Latin monotonus, from late Greek monotonos.