All Words > Adagio

illustration Adagio

Adagio

[ə-ˈdä-j(ē-ˌ)ō]

Part of speech: adverb

Origin: Italian, late 17th century

1.

At a slow tempo or pace

2.

In music, a direction to play at a slow tempo

Examples of Adagio in a sentence

"The piece, performed adagio, served as a calming relief after the fast-paced introduction."

"The innovative musician takes compositions with fast tempos and performs them adagio for new effect."

About Adagio

Adagio can also refer to a musical composition itself, performed at a slow tempo. One of the most famous musical adagios, "Adagio in G Minor," was recently discovered to have been written not by assumed composer Tomaso Albinoni, but by contemporary Remo Giazotto.

Did you Know?

The term adagio is borrowed directly from Italian, where it literally means "at ease."

illustration Adagio

Recent Words

What's the word?