Toning: meaning, definitions and examples

Best used when discussing exercises or activities that enhance muscle definition without significantly increasing size. It is often associated with low-weight, high-repetition workouts.

• I’ve been doing a lot of toning exercises to get my arms in shape for summer.
• Yoga classes are great for toning muscles.

Used in the context of making muscles stronger. It often involves resistance training and can refer to increasing muscle mass and improving muscle endurance.

• I've been focusing on strengthening my core muscles.
• Strengthening exercises such as weightlifting can help improve bone density.

Often used in the context of overall fitness and stamina. It includes both cardiovascular and strength elements to improve overall physical fitness and readiness for various activities or sports.

• The football team’s conditioning program is really intense.
• I'm focusing on conditioning to prepare for the marathon.

Commonly used when discussing the act of sculpting the body to fit a desired aesthetic or physical appearance. It emphasizes the form or silhouette of the body.

• Pilates is fantastic for shaping your waistline.
• I've been shaping my legs with specific exercises.

This appears to be a repetition and should be referenced alongside the first entry on 'toning'.

Often used when talking about adding or changing color in various contexts such as drawing, painting, or hair.

• She enjoys coloring with crayons in her free time.
• The hairdresser is coloring her hair to a lighter shade.

Commonly used in music and signal processing, indicating adjusting or varying in tone, pitch, or strength.

• He is modulating his voice to match the emotions of the song.
• The technician is modulating the signal to improve reception.

Used primarily when referring to applying a slight color to something, like windows or makeup.

• She is tinting her car windows to reduce glare.
• The makeup artist is tinting her eyebrows to achieve a natural look.