noun Uncommon

tonic

TO-nihk

Tonic (noun) means a drink or medicine believed to restore health, energy, or well-being. Example: “Grandma swore by her herbal tonic for colds.”

noun

A drink or medicine believed to restore health, energy, or well-being.

"Grandma swore by her herbal tonic for colds."

A carbonated soft drink, especially tonic water, often mixed with spirits like gin.

"He ordered a gin and tonic at the bar."

The first and home note of a musical scale, around which the melody centres.

"The piece resolves back to the tonic at the very end."

adj

Restorative or invigorating.

"A brisk walk had a tonic effect on her mood."

How to Use Tonic

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething restorative (a tonic drink or effect), a fizzy mixer (tonic water), or the home note of a musical key.

Common pairings

gin and tonic tonic water a tonic for the nerves

Word Forms

more tonic comparative, tonicked past tense, tonics plural, tonics plural, tonics singular, most tonic superlative

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Grandma swore by her herbal _____ for colds.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek tonikos, from tonos ("tension, pitch") — 18th-century doctors linked healthy muscle "tension" to overall vigor, giving us the medical sense.

Origin: Ancient Greek · First attested 1700

Class of 1700 tonic joined the language around 1700.

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Synonyms

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pop soda keynote restorative tonal soda pop accented soda water tonic water quinine water

Related Words

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Rhymes for tonic

ionic sonic ironic bionic iconic laconic Masonic chronic moronic demonic bubonic colonic

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does “tonic” mean?

The word “tonic” means a drink or medicine believed to restore health, energy, or well-being. In plain terms, something restorative (a tonic drink or effect), a fizzy mixer (tonic water), or the home note of a musical key.

How do you pronounce “tonic”?

“Tonic” is pronounced TO-nihk (/ˈtɑ.nɪk/ in IPA).

How do you use “tonic” in a sentence?

Here is “tonic” used in a sentence: “Grandma swore by her herbal tonic for colds.”

What part of speech is “tonic”?

Depending on how it is used, “tonic” can be a noun and an adjective.

Where does the word “tonic” come from?

The word “tonic” dates back to around 1700 and comes from Ancient Greek. From Ancient Greek tonikos, from tonos ("tension, pitch") — 18th-century doctors linked healthy muscle "tension" to overall vigor, giving us the medical sense.

Is “tonic” a common word?

“Tonic” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “tonic” have?

“Tonic” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a drink or medicine believed to restore health, energy, or well-being.

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