tempo

noun tem·po \ ˈtem-(ˌ)pō \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

plural tempi play \ˈtem-(ˌ)pē\ or tempos

1 : the rate of speed of a musical piece or passage indicated by one of a series of directions (such as largo, presto, or allegro) and often by an exact metronome marking

2 : rate of motion or activity : pace

See tempo defined for English-language learners

See tempo defined for kids

Examples of tempo in a Sentence

The song has a slow tempo.
The composition has many changes of tempo.
We walked at a fast tempo.
The tempo of the game slowed down.
The dance starts out fast and then switches tempo.

Recent Examples of tempo from the Web

However, Golden State’s blueprint without Curry — slow down the tempo, ratchet up the defensive intensity and roll its offense through Durant — has been far less successful since Curry tweaked his right ankle March 8 against the Spurs.

— connor letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, "This is Kevin Durant’s time to take charge of the Warriors," 12 Apr. 2018
The process is in its embryonic stages and, in the early going, Lindgren said Monday there were some growing pains as the offense pushes to its new tempo.

— danny moran, OregonLive.com, "Oregon State wants to increase tempo; Conor Blount gets first team quarterback reps: Beavers spring football practice notes," 9 Apr. 2018
Subtle details of tempo and phrasing kept everything sounding spontaneous, aided at each turn by the BSO’s supple response.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore Symphony in colorful form with Stenz, Steinbacher," 7 Apr. 2018
At the morning show, Saraste kept to a fairly strict tempo, limiting Hadelich’s ability to tug at Britten’s free-floating lines; yet the second movement had an anxious, sweaty force.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "Augustin Hadelich’s Bold Violin Explorations," 2 Apr. 2018
And the big thing the Huskers are working on is speeding up their tempo.

— tim bielik, cleveland.com, "What first impression has Shea Patterson left on Michigan players and coaches? Buckeye Breakfast," 29 Mar. 2018
Even Alex Gordon, who spent all spring struggling to find his tempo at the plate, logged an extra-base hit with a double to left field.

— maria torres, kansascity, "Danny Duffy and the Royals bullpen implode in opening day loss to White Sox | The Kansas City Star," 29 Mar. 2018
Every project has its own personality and its own tempo.

— katherine shaver, Washington Post, "New chief of Purple Line construction promises a ‘transformational’ project," 29 Mar. 2018
Virginia milks the shot-clock, and forces teams to play at its plodding tempo.

— sean gregory, Time, "Here Are Six Irresistible March Madness 2018 Storylines to Watch," 13 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of tempo

Italian, literally, time, from Latin tempus

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First Known Use: circa 1724

See Words from the same year

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

TEMPO Defined for English Language Learners

tempo

noun

: the speed at which a musical piece is played or sung
: the speed at which something moves or happens

TEMPO Defined for Kids

tempo

noun tem·po \ ˈtem-pō \

plural tempi \-ˌpē\ or tempos

: the rate of speed at which a musical composition is played or sung

Word Root of tempo

The Latin word tempus, meaning “time,”and its form temporis give us the roots temp and tempor. Words from the Latin tempus have something to do with time. Something temporary lasts only a short time. Someone or something contemporary lives or occurs at the same time as someone or something else. A tempo is the speed at which music is performed in time.