opera buffa

noun

opera buf·​fa -ˈbü-fə How to pronounce opera buffa (audio)
: an 18th century farcical comic opera with dialogue in recitative

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Rossini wrote an opera buffa, an essentially frivolous piece with a whole lot of gorgeous music. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2023 Mozart’s 1790 opera buffa about two men whose scheme to test their fiancées’ fidelity ends in surprise. San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2021 That scenario, one part soap opera and one part opera buffa . . . Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 7 Mar. 2021 Leading an orchestra with considerably more strings than Mozart was accustomed to, Zander gave admirable clarity to the opera buffa fugue sections and propulsion to the whole. BostonGlobe.com, 19 Oct. 2019 The credited adaptation source for Love Wedding Repeat might be a minor French comedy from 2012 called Plan de table, but the model for this strained opera buffa is two Brit hits from the 1990s: Sliding Doors and Four Weddings and a Funeral. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2020 The production directed by Michael Shell takes its inspiration from the films of Pedro Almodovar and plays up the colorful, carnival-like atmosphere of Rossini’s opera buffa. 7:30 p.m. April 28, May 2 and May 4 and 2 p.m. May 6. Patrick Neas, kansascity, 20 Apr. 2018 Italian elections, frequent and feuding, are often dismissed as opera buffa offerings from a country that never changes. Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2018 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, comic opera

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of opera buffa was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near opera buffa

Cite this Entry

“Opera buffa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opera%20buffa. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on opera buffa

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Love It or Hate It

  • heart-fire
  • When asked about her blind date, Carol spoke for hours with vitriol.
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY