overtone

/ˈoʊvərˌtoʊn/
noun
  1. An implied or subtle quality, feeling, or meaning that is not stated directly.
    • Her compliment had a sarcastic overtone that I didn't miss.
    • The movie had romantic overtones, even though it was an action film.
    • His speech had political overtones that made the audience uneasy.
  2. A higher musical frequency that is part of a sound, giving it a richer quality.
    • The overtone series is a basic concept in music theory.
    • The cello produces beautiful overtones that make its sound warm and deep.
    • Musicians learn to control overtones to create different tones on a flute.
Antonyms