contralto

noun

con·tral·to | \ kən-ˈtral-(ˌ)tō

plural contraltos

Definition of contralto

1a : a singing voice having a range between tenor and mezzo-soprano

b : a person having this voice

2 : the part sung by a contralto

Examples of contralto in a Sentence

a duet performed by a soprano and a contralto

Recent Examples on the Web

Daniel Okulitch brought a brutal heft to General Leslie Groves ; Meredith Arwady an otherworldly contralto to Pasqualita, the Oppenheimers’ Tewa housekeeper; and Andrew Harris a sardonic bite to the scientist Edward Teller. — Heidi Waleson, WSJ, "Staging Reimagined Stories in New Mexico," 6 Aug. 2018 Survivors include his daughter, contralto Sonya Alexandra Knussen of Baltimore; a brother; and a sister. — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, "Oliver Knussen, influential composer of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ opera, dies at 66," 12 July 2018 Roberts's contralto voice grounds a Lina set adrift in a confusing universe of puppets and apparitions. — Irene Hsiao, Chicago Reader, "The four plays that make up Stories of the Body plumb the depths of women’s experience," 30 May 2018 Meticulously crafted and ever-evolving in collaboration with French master creator and ex-paramour Jean-Paul Goude, the singer’s Afrofuturist image is as integral to her character as her sultry contralto and subversive stage presence. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Happy Birthday, Grace Jones! 18 Times the Fearless Pop Icon Broke the Beauty Mold," 19 May 2018 Her smooth contralto vocals were as amazing as ever. — Kevinisha Walker, NOLA.com, "Anita Baker 'gives the best she's got' at Jazz Fest 2018," 6 May 2018 Macy Gray, Dangerous Woman, 2016) Ariana Grande and Macy Gray couldn’t sound more different, but Gray’s husky contralto is a perfect foil for Ariana’s pure soprano. — Richard S. He, Billboard, "Every Ariana Grande Song, Ranked," 27 Apr. 2018 Her unusual contralto voice opened doors to the Metropolitan Opera Co. and soloist performance at Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden. — Sun-Sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 4/6," 6 Apr. 2018 Bullock's voice is deeply rich and richly deep, with both the qualities of Anderson's expressive contralto and Price's electrifying climaxes. — Mark Swed, latimes.com, "Kathleen Battle, Julia Bullock and the saga of opera singers of color," 5 Apr. 2018

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