tempo
noun
\
\
or tempos
Definition of tempo
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
Examples of tempo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That Borrego wants to play more up-tempo might help Kidd-Gilchrist score a little more. — Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Your Charlotte Hornets questions on salary cap, Cody Zeller, Tony Parker and more," 12 July 2018 Milton has praised new coach Josh Heupel and suggested the up tempo offense that helped UCF win the 2017 AAC title will be even faster during the 2018 campaign. — Iliana Limón Romero, OrlandoSentinel.com, "UCF football favored to repeat as American Athletic Conference champions," 9 July 2018 Improved tempo was something Lewis wanted to see, too. — Jason Jones, sacbee, "The Kings want to 'get out and run.' Why that best suits Justin Jackson's game," 9 July 2018 Pitch isn’t the only area where the difference between music and noise is hard to pin down: marking time—tempo—is also an essential part of music. — Paul Grimstad, The New Republic, "Can You Measure How Good a Song Is?," 21 June 2018 The room is kept dark and the music is loud, with playlists that fall heavy with high tempo house music, but also the occasional pop artist, such as James Blunt or Pink. — Grace Dickinson, Philly.com, "Which Philly-area spin studio classes are worth the hype and heavy price tag?," 29 May 2018 Fans of Low, Soundgarden, and Bedhead will dig its crunchy melodies and satisfying, almost headbang-able tempos. — Leor Galil, Chicago Reader, "Hogg drop a new LP of tense, ritualistic throb ’n’ roll," 1 May 2018 There are so many training programs out there that talk about mile repeats, tempo runs, long runs. — Health.com, "How to Harness Your Mental Strength, According to Marathon Record Holder Deena Kastor," 10 Apr. 2018 Perform squats at a 1-2 down and a 1-2 up tempo for 10-20 repetitions. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Stepping up your training can boost your heart, lower-body muscles," 11 July 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for tempo
tempo
noun
English Language Learners Definition of tempo
: the speed at which a musical piece is played or sung
: the speed at which something moves or happens
See the full definition for tempo in the English Language Learners Dictionary
tempo
noun
\
Kids Definition of tempo
: the rate of speed at which a musical composition is played or sung
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on tempo
What made you want to look up tempo? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
-
- Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
A mythological/etymological mashup!
Take the quiz -
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz -
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz -
Bee Cubed
Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.
Play the game
Share tempo
Resources for tempo