Meaning & use

mezzo-forte

adverb·Advanced

A musical direction meaning to play or sing at a moderately loud volume, abbreviated mf.

See it in a sentence

The conductor marked the passage mezzo-forte, softer than the triumphant finale that followed.

Play the opening phrase mezzo-forte before building gradually to a full forte.

A note on using this word

Mezzo-forte sits between piano (soft) and forte (loud) on the standard scale of musical dynamics.

Words with a similar meaning

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