adagio

/əˈdɑːdʒioʊ/

noun

  1. A slow tempo marking in music, typically indicating a leisurely pace.

    B2

    countableformal

    • "The pianist played the adagio with great emotion."B2
    • "In this piece, the adagio section contrasts with the faster movements."C1
    • "Beethoven wrote a beautiful adagio for the string quartet."B1
    • "The concert opened with a lesser-known adagio by Mozart."B2
    • "Scholars debate whether the adagio in this manuscript is authentic or a later arrangement."C2

  2. A musical composition or movement performed at a slow tempo.

    B2

    countableformal

adjective

  1. Performed at a slow tempo.

    B2
    • "The adagio movement of the symphony was particularly moving."B2

adverb

  1. In music, a direction meaning to play slowly and gracefully.

    B2

    formal

    • "The violinist played the passage adagio."B1
    • "The symphony's second movement is marked adagio, requiring great emotional control from the orchestra."C1
    • "Even amateur ensembles know that adagio does not mean dragging but sustaining a noble tempo."C2

Collocations

adagio movementadagio tempo

Word family

adagioadagiettoallegroandante