1. an implicit or suggested meaning or quality beyond what is explicitly stated
2. a higher frequency sound wave that accompanies a fundamental tone
Usage: music; physics

Examples

• Her speech had political overtones that made some listeners uncomfortable.
• The novel’s dark overtones reflected the author’s pessimistic worldview.
• There were racial overtones to the heated debate.
• The committee detected hostile overtones in his resignation letter.
• The violin’s rich sound comes from its complex overtones.
• Musicians learn to hear the subtle overtones in different instruments.
• The overtones give each instrument its distinctive timbre.