tool Synonyms & Antonyms
Choose a meaning, then find a word that fits your sentence.
Tool as a Noun
Any physical device meant to ease or do a task.
Several prehistoric tools, including a stone ax, were found during the dig.
Any piece of equipment used in a profession, such as a craftsman's.
the tools of the trade
Anything that aids someone to perform an operation; an instrument; a means.
Idleness is a tool of the devil.
A piece of software used to develop software or hardware, or to perform low-level operations.
The software engineer had been developing lots of EDA tools.
A person or group which is used or controlled, usually unwittingly, by another person or group, a pawn.
She was a tool of the pharmaceutical lobby.
A particular skill pertaining to baseball (such as hitting, running, etc.).
a five-tool player
A penis, notably with a sexual or erotic connotation.
An obnoxious or uptight person.
He won't sell us tickets because it's 3:01, and they went off sale at 3. That guy's such a tool.
A handgun.
A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.
Hand me that tool, would you? I don't have the right tools to start fiddling around with the engine.
Equipment used in a profession, e.g., tools of the trade.
These are the tools of the trade.
Something to perform an operation; an instrument; a means.
A person or group which is used or controlled, usually unwittingly, by another person or group.
He was a tool, no more than a pawn to her.
Penis.
(by extension) An obnoxious or uptight person.
He won't sell us tickets because it's 3:01, and they went off sale at 3. That guy's such a tool.
Tool as a Verb
To work on or shape with tools, e.g., hand-tooled leather.
To equip with tools.
To work very hard.
To put down another person (possibly in a subtle, hidden way), and in that way to use him or her to meet a goal.
Dude, he's not your friend. He's just tooling you.
To intentionally attack the ball so that it deflects off a blocker out of bounds.
To drive (a coach or other vehicle).
To carry or convey in a coach or other vehicle.
To travel in a vehicle; to ride or drive.
Tool in a Sentence
Several prehistoric tools, including a stone ax, were found during the dig.
A screwdriver is a tool that no household should be without.
A stapler is a tool for attaching papers to others.
the tools of the trade
Rakes, shovels, hoes, and spades are some of the tools of the gardener's trade.
I don't have the right tools to start fiddling around with the engine.
A timing light is a tool that only an automotive mechanic, professional or amateur, would have.
Idleness is a tool of the devil.
A spreadsheet app and a bookkeeping app are some of the principal tools of a bookkeeper.
The software engineer had been developing lots of EDA tools.
a tool for recovering deleted files from a disk
She was a tool of the pharmaceutical lobby.
He was a tool of a foreign influence operation.
a five-tool player
He won't sell us tickets because it's 3:01, and they went off sale at 3. That guy's such a tool.
Dude, he's not your friend. He's just tooling you.
Hand me that tool, would you? I don't have the right tools to start fiddling around with the engine.
These are the tools of the trade.
The software engineer had been developing lots of EDA tools. a tool for recovering deleted files from a disk
He was a tool, no more than a pawn to her.
Word Forms & Grammar
tool (plural tools)
tool (third-person singular simple present tools, present participle tooling, simple past and past participle tooled)
Words That Rhyme With Tool
Origin of Tool
From Middle English tool, tol, from Old English tōl (“tool, implement, instrument”, literally “that with which one prepares something”), perhaps borrowed from Old Norse tól, but at any rate ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tōlą (“that which is used in preparation, tool”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂- (“to tie to, secure”), equivalent to taw (“to prepare”) + -le (agent suffix). Cognate with Scots tuil (“tool, implement, instrument, device”), Icelandic tól (“tool”), Faroese tól (“tool, instrument”). Related to Old English tāwian (“to make, prepare, or cultivate”); see taw, and tow ("fibres used for spinning").[1][2]
Tool in Brief
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /tuːl/ |
| Meaning | Any physical device meant to ease or do a task |
| Plural | tools |
| Verb forms | tools, tooling, tooled |
Questions People Ask About Tool
Is tool a noun or a verb?
Tool is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is the plural of tool?
The plural of tool is tools.
What is the past tense of tool?
The past tense of tool is tooled. The present participle is tooling.