aria

\ ˈär-ē-ə

plural arias also arie\ ˈär-ē-ˌā

Definition of aria

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : air, melody, tune specifically : an accompanied, elaborate melody sung (as in an opera) by a single voice enjoyed the soprano's romantic aria

2 : a striking solo performance (as in a movie) … Russell Crowe's performance in Gladiator was all about the physical stuff—it was a brute-force aria of fighting and flexing and unleashing hell …— Jeff Gordinier

3 : a written or spoken passage or text likened to a dramatic or emotional operatic solo … a plainspoken but moving aria on the joys of rural living …— Lauren Collins

Aria

geographical name

\ ˈer-ē-ə

, ˈa-rē-ə, ə-ˈrī-ə \

Definition of Aria (Entry 2 of 2)

1 an eastern province of the ancient Persian Empire; district now in northwestern Afghanistan and eastern Iran

2 — see herat

Examples of aria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Numbers sing arias of irrefutable fact that soar above murky choruses of subjectivity, spin, and slant. — Dan Neil, Car and Driver, "Tested: 2003 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Takes Fast SUVs to New Heights," 2 June 2020 Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Corbett was clear that her route included getting a doctorate and ideally working on rapid vaccine development — an aria to Graham's ears. — NBC News, "Scientist Kizzmekia Corbett leads the way on COVID-19 vaccine trials with dedication and humor," 7 Apr. 2020 Often Rivera’s poetic speeches become repetitive arias, rather than real people using poetry to try to climb out of their hellscape. — cleveland, "‘Marisol’ at Cleveland Public Theatre is a poetic visit to a parallel universe," 11 Mar. 2020 While there, Andrea sang an aria for her, a piece called Occhi Di Fata (Fairy’s Eyes). — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Andrea Bocelli Reveals He Moved in With His Wife Veronica Berti the Same Night They Met," 18 Apr. 2020 Combining elements of video and performance art, the piece strings together seven famous arias associated with Callas and new music by the composer Marko Nikodijevic. — Matthew Anderson, New York Times, "The Coronavirus Derails Marina Abramovic’s Maria Callas Opera," 9 Apr. 2020 The Italians themselves, who've been taking to their windows and balconies to sing everything from their national anthem to operatic arias to boost their morale during their quarantine. — Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, "Coronavirus inspires chart-topping, click-worthy songs to laugh and wash your hands by," 18 Mar. 2020 As the cat moves, the sound shifts and changes, evolving from ethereal arias to scratchy white noise. — Melissa Locker, Time, "Tentative and Musically Gifted Cat Playing a Theremin Has Given Us the Song of the Season," 11 Mar. 2020 Modern audiences won’t want to sit for hours through parades of static arias and confusing plots. — Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, "Review: The Met Opera Is Handel’s House in ‘Agrippina’," 7 Feb. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aria.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.