pianissimo
1 of 2adverb or adjective
pi·a·nis·si·mo
ˌpē-ə-ˈni-sə-ˌmō 
: very softly
—used as a direction in music
plural pianissimi or pianissimos
: a passage played, sung, or spoken very softly
Examples of pianissimo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The score had come to a pianissimo — immediately after the title character, an otherworldly visitor to a divided land, comes to the rescue of Elsa and declares his love for her — and the chorus singers needed to alter their sound to accommodate the acoustics of their hooded costumes.
—Joshua Barone, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
While Blanchett’s Lydia is all nerves and naked ambition, Hoss’ performance is pure pianissimo.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2022
Denève had the orchestra playing on top form, from a pianissimo at the threshold of audibility to thrilling and admirably precise masses of trumpets and trombones.
—Dallas News, 23 Sep. 2022
Rorem’s is a simple and ingenious song — which allows Price to float a high pianissimo, at the end, forever.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 1 Sep. 2021
The air was perfumed, and from somewhere overhead, a melody was playing, pianissimo.
—Te-Ping Chen, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2020
Forget about pianissimo's complexity; only at Alexa's top volume can the notes even be heard.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 18 Feb. 2020
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Noun
In the wake of episodes that evoke a crawl across a wasteland, the conflict is resolved in favor of the major, in a beatific pianissimo.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The score had come to a pianissimo — immediately after the title character, an otherworldly visitor to a divided land, comes to the rescue of Elsa and declares his love for her — and the chorus singers needed to alter their sound to accommodate the acoustics of their hooded costumes.
—Joshua Barone, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
While Blanchett’s Lydia is all nerves and naked ambition, Hoss’ performance is pure pianissimo.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2022
Denève had the orchestra playing on top form, from a pianissimo at the threshold of audibility to thrilling and admirably precise masses of trumpets and trombones.
—Dallas News, 23 Sep. 2022
Rorem’s is a simple and ingenious song — which allows Price to float a high pianissimo, at the end, forever.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 1 Sep. 2021
The air was perfumed, and from somewhere overhead, a melody was playing, pianissimo.
—Te-Ping Chen, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2020
Forget about pianissimo's complexity; only at Alexa's top volume can the notes even be heard.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 18 Feb. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Pianissimo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pianissimo. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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