falsetto

noun

fal·set·to | \ fȯl-ˈse-(ˌ)tō

plural falsettos

Definition of falsetto

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an artificially high voice especially : an artificially produced singing voice that overlaps and extends above the range of the full voice especially of a tenor

2 : a singer who uses falsetto

falsetto

adverb

Definition of falsetto (Entry 2 of 2)

: in falsetto

Examples of falsetto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The Media Faker, affecting a falsetto voice, is uncontrollably hurling imprecations at Trump. — Daniel Henninger, WSJ, "Trump the Opera—II," 26 Dec. 2018 Owner of an impeccable falsetto, the L.A.-based Sumney is an innovative artist coming into his own, though perhaps a more natural fit at heyday Sasquatch (RIP) than with the contemporary Bumbershoot crowd. — Michael Rietmulder, The Seattle Times, "The best and worst of Bumbershoot 2018," 3 Sep. 2018 Don’t expect Disney cuteness and falsetto-voiced mice. — Laurel Graeber, New York Times, "7 Things to Do With Your Kids in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 31 May 2018 Moses Sumney The silky smooth falsetto that Moses Sumney is known for remained flawless in his afternoon performance. — Erin Richards And Samantha West, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Eaux Claires IV review: Day 2 music," 8 July 2018 The singer's timorous, tuneless falsetto convinced me to put in a bid, but somebody else won the auction for $113.61. — Leor Galil, Chicago Reader, "Alexa Viscius of Bunny on a bass-playing hero who makes perfect posters," 27 June 2018 The songs layer his hummed falsettos over bouncy synths and spartan beats. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "Charlie Puth Finds a Mature New Sound on Sophomore Album Voicenotes," 10 May 2018 Their collective had released only a few songs publicly as of this weekend, but fans got to hear an album's worth of Vernon’s signature falsetto and folktronica dilations combined with Dessner’s guitar and vocals. — Erin Richards, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Eaux Claires IV review: Day 1 music," 7 July 2018 Moses Sumney Moses Sumney’s songs ache for connection yet often end up lonely, his otherworldly falsetto cradled by slow-motion R&B grooves. — Jon Pareles, New York Times, "At Moogfest, Electronics Stimulate Ears and Emotions," 21 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

The Neighbourhood The Neighbourhood knows how to pair a high-flying falsetto vocal with a gut-rumbling low-end synth line. — John Adamian, courant.com, "Music Festivals And Concerts Not To Miss This Week," 18 June 2018 Across those three tracks, Timberlake fashioned a new sound with the Neptunes, the production duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, shedding his pop-singer sheen for dirty drums, falsetto vocal runs, and, notably, guitar. — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, "Justin Timberlake’s Roots Run Deep," 14 Mar. 2018 Fats Domino announced himself with this single: a two-fisted boogie-woogie piano intro with tremolo flourishes, verses that establish his 200-pound physique and his New Orleans locale and a falsetto vocal like a trumpet solo. — Jon Pareles, New York Times, "Fats Domino Songs: Listen to 12 Essential Tracks," 25 Oct. 2017

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