falsetto

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noun fal·set·to \ fȯl-ˈse-(ˌ)tō \

Definition of falsetto

plural falsettos

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

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Recent Examples of falsetto from the Web

As cringe-inducing as the scene—and James’s falsetto—can be, there’s also an emotional, distinctly teenage tenderness at play.

— laura bradley, vanityfair.com, "Twin Peaks Just Delivered Its Trolliest—and Saddest—Installment Yet," 7 Aug. 2017
As cringe-inducing as the scene—and James’s falsetto—can be, there’s also an emotional, distinctly teenage tenderness at play.

— laura bradley, HWD, "Twin Peaks Just Delivered Its Trolliest—and Saddest—Installment Yet," 7 Aug. 2017
While some Russian millennials were (allegedly) honing their intercontinental hacking skills, the mega pop star known as Vitas was perfecting his falsetto tongue flutter.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Outrageous Russian singer Vitas should move to New Orleans, right?," 24 July 2017
The record is full of sweet, psychedelic grooves, and displays the strength of Gourley's signature falsetto.

— special to the oregonian, OregonLive.com, "Portland's Portugal The Man is finally big enough to be called a sellout," 14 July 2017
Pharrell & Chad Hugo of the Neptunes made their name from Pharrell's off-kilter falsetto and genre-bending blend of hip-hop, rock, pop and funk.

— AL.com, "Southern hip-hop producers who changed the game," 10 July 2017
As the crowd tightened and hushed for the set, which included Vernon's falsetto, Dessner's guitar, and flute and French horn electronica, the mood felt decidedly inclusive, collaborative and experimental.

— karen herzog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Eau Claire is more than Eaux Claires: It's home to millennials," 1 July 2017
Frontman Thomas Mars’s expressive falsetto vocals rival the glory days of the Beach Boys’ Wilson brothers.

— staff, The Christian Science Monitor, "Top Picks: Phoenix's 'Ti Amo,' HBO's 'The Words That Built America,' and more," 30 June 2017
Thundercat's solo work is built on bass, of course, as well as an effective falsetto on short, punchy jazz-and-soul tracks with swirling electronic sounds.

— steve knopper, chicagotribune.com, "A Mamby on the Beach guide to don't-miss acts," 21 June 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.

Origin and Etymology of falsetto

Italian, from diminutive of falso false, from Latin falsus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1721

See Words from the same year

falsetto

adverb

Definition of falsetto

:in falsetto

First Known Use of falsetto

1940

FALSETTO Defined for English Language Learners

falsetto

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noun

Definition of falsetto for English Language Learners

: a very high voice used by a man (such as a male singer)

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See words that rhyme with falsetto Spanish Central: Translation of falsetto Nglish: Translation of falsetto for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about falsetto

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