Meaning & use
adagio
In music, performed or to be performed in a slow, leisurely tempo.
See it in a sentence
The conductor instructed the strings to play the opening passage adagio.
Marked adagio, the second movement moves at a slow, graceful pace.
A note on using this word
Adagio is an Italian musical direction; it can function as an adverb, adjective, or noun depending on context in a score.
Words with a similar meaning
slowlyleisurely
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
allegropresto
Another way to use it
2. noun
A musical movement or composition marked to be played at a slow tempo.
The symphony's adagio is often praised as its most emotional movement.
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