Meaning

(transitive) To put (something) out of tune..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To put (something) out of tune.
2. (transitive, figurative) To cause (something) not to be in harmony or to be poorly adjusted.

Example Sentences

[…] the clapper of his distuned belle May cankre soone I mene his false tonge Be doumbe for euer & neuer efte to be runge

And as the Musician neyther streyneth the string of his instrument to hye, for feare of breaking, nor lette[t]h it to low for feare of distuning. So god […] will keepe a meane neyther suffering vs to be carelesselye secure, nor driuing vs for want of comforte to despayre.

[…] thy voice distuned and marred of modulation;

A judicious distuning, applied to piano tone, has the effect of introducing a wavering quality which the ear interprets as a pleasing liveliness of tone.

1654, Thomas Jackson, A Treatise of the Primaeval Estate of the First Man, Section 2, Chapter 13, in An Exact Collection of the Works of Doctor Jackson, London: Timothy Garthwait, p. 3037, But by eating of the forbidden fruit, and losse of Paradise, his very substance was corrupted and deprived of Life Spiritual: and all his Powers or Faculties not only corrupted, but distuned.

1802, Charles Lamb, John Woodvil, Act IV, in The Works of Charles Lamb, London: C. and J. Ollier, 1818, Volume 1, p. 146, O most distuned, and distempered world, where sons talk their aged fathers into their graves!

They seemed united As groom and bride, Who’d not communed For many years— Lives from twain spheres With hearts distuned.

Word Forms

• distunes
• distuning
• distuned

Synonyms for distune

Related Words

When Should You Use Distune?

Use distune when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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