Examples of ostinato in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Although there are sonic glimpses of Britell’s signature ostinato here, they’re too often drowned out by choirs that are meant to be heavenly but just sound pretentious and grandiose.
—
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 May 2023
Male anxiety and aggression form a jittery ostinato to the proceedings, as Matthias tries to train Rudi in masculinist skills like fishing, fending and fighting.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
In the spirit of other great live jazz recordings of the past, his discography asserts those venues as musical personalities themselves: babbling patrons become a rowdy counterpoint, the looped clink of glasses and silverware a subtle ostinato.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 Dec. 2022
In the impressive opening Kyrie, a catchy ostinato in the piano and a slow, wistful interlude for strings pave the way toward an impassioned choral entreaty that crests and recedes like ocean waves.
—Barbara Jepson, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2020
Its slow movement, in C minor, is built on a mesmerizing cello ostinato, rising by scalar steps from C to F and then back down.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022
The song’s iconic four-note ostinato dates back to pre-Christian folklore, and was arranged into its classical musical form by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich in 1916.
—Micah Hendler, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022
Dolnick has not just a journalist’s fondness for narrative color but also an affection for England that plays, like a basso ostinato, beneath his text.
—The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2021
And the film’s storytelling is as free as jazz — or, in fact, a then-unknown band named Earth, Wind & Fire, who lay down a funk ostinato topped by a snaky, blaring sax.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2021
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Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 May 2023
Male anxiety and aggression form a jittery ostinato to the proceedings, as Matthias tries to train Rudi in masculinist skills like fishing, fending and fighting.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
In the spirit of other great live jazz recordings of the past, his discography asserts those venues as musical personalities themselves: babbling patrons become a rowdy counterpoint, the looped clink of glasses and silverware a subtle ostinato.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 Dec. 2022
In the impressive opening Kyrie, a catchy ostinato in the piano and a slow, wistful interlude for strings pave the way toward an impassioned choral entreaty that crests and recedes like ocean waves.
—Barbara Jepson, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2020
Its slow movement, in C minor, is built on a mesmerizing cello ostinato, rising by scalar steps from C to F and then back down.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022
The song’s iconic four-note ostinato dates back to pre-Christian folklore, and was arranged into its classical musical form by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovich in 1916.
—Micah Hendler, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022
Dolnick has not just a journalist’s fondness for narrative color but also an affection for England that plays, like a basso ostinato, beneath his text.
—The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2021
And the film’s storytelling is as free as jazz — or, in fact, a then-unknown band named Earth, Wind & Fire, who lay down a funk ostinato topped by a snaky, blaring sax.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ostinato.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Italian, obstinate, from Latin obstinatus
First Known Use
1928, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near ostinato
Cite this Entry
“Ostinato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostinato. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on ostinato
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ostinato
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