First Known Use: 1574
Dictionary
atone
verb \ə-ˈtōn\
: to do something good as a way to show that you are sorry about doing something bad
atonedaton·ing
Full Definition of ATONE
transitive verb
1
obsolete : reconcile
2
: to supply satisfaction for : expiate
intransitive verb
: to make amends <atone for sins>
See atone defined for English-language learners
See atone defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of ATONE
Middle English, to become reconciled, from at on in harmony, from at + on one
Rhymes with ATONE
agon, aitchbone, alone, backbone, Bastogne, bemoan, Big Stone, birthstone, Blackstone, bloodstone, bluestone, bondstone, Boulogne, breastbone, bridge loan, brimstone, brownstone, call loan, calzone, Capone, capstone, cell phone, cheekbone, chinbone, cogon, cologne, Cologne, colon, colón, Colón, condone, copestone, corn pone, curbstone, cyclone, daimon, dapsone, debone, depone, dethrone, dial tone, disown, Dordogne, downzone, dripstone, drop zone, drystone, earphone, earth tone, end zone, enthrone, estrone, fieldstone, firestone, Firestone, flagstone, flowstone, flyblown, footstone, freestone, free zone, full-blown, gallstone, gemstone, Gijón, goldstone, gravestone, greenstone, grindstone, hailstone, halftone, handblown, hard stone, headphone, headstone, hearthstone, high-flown, hip bone, homegrown, hormone, hornstone, impone, ingrown, inkstone, in stone, intone, jawbone, jewel tone, keystone, León, leone, life zone, limestone, lodestone, long bone, Maidstone, milestone, millstone, moonstone, mudstone, nose cone, oilstone, orgone, ozone, pay phone, peptone, pinbone, pinecone, piñon, pipestone, postpone, potstone, propone, redbone, red zone, rhinestone, sandstone, shade-grown, shinbone, siltstone, snow cone, soapstone, splint bone, strike zone, T-bone, tailbone, thighbone, time zone, toadstone, tombstone, touchstone, touch-tone, tritone, trombone, turnstone, twelve-tone, two-tone, Tyrone, unknown, unthrone, war zone, well-known, whalebone, wheel-thrown, whetstone, windblown, wishbone, Yangon
ATONE Defined for Kids
atone
verb \ə-ˈtōn\
atonedaton·ing
Definition of ATONE for Kids
: to do something to make up for a wrong <… her grandmother watched over her with untiring devotion, as if trying to atone for some past mistake … — Louisa May Alcott, Little Women>
Learn More About ATONE
Browse
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up atone? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).