aria

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablemusic

   A song for one voice in an opera or oratorio, usually accompanied by an orchestra and showing off the singer's skill and emotion.

   Grammar: Countable: sing an aria; the plural is arias.

   Patterns

   • an aria from something
   • sing an aria

   The soprano received a standing ovation after her aria.

   She practiced a famous aria from The Magic Flute.

   The tenor's aria in the second act silenced the hall.

2. 2nouncountablemusic

   Any melodic, song-like piece for a solo instrument or voice in classical music.

   Grammar: Used more loosely in concerts: an aria for violin.

   Patterns

   • an aria for something

   The composer wrote a gentle aria for cello.

   The cello played an aria that felt almost like a lullaby.

Word forms

Common combinations

sing an aria

She will sing an aria at the gala.

opera aria

The opera aria brought the audience to tears.

famous aria

The famous aria is often used in films.

aria from

They performed an aria from La Traviata.

soprano aria

The soprano aria climbs to a very high note.

da capo aria

A da capo aria repeats its first section.

Synonyms and how they differ

solo

Solo is a general word for any piece performed by one person, while an aria belongs to opera and is built around emotion.

song

Song is the broad word, while aria suggests a more elaborate, dramatic piece within an opera.

air

Air is an older word for a tune and sounds old-fashioned today.

Opposites

Word family

arietta noun

a short aria

arioso noun

a style between a recitative and an aria

recitative noun

sung speech that moves the opera plot forward

Commonly confused: aria or area?

Practice

Make it your own

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