tempo

play

noun tem·po \ ˈtem-(ˌ)pō \

Definition of tempo

plural tempi play \-(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

The playing was crisp and fresh, and Preu's tempos had wonderful momentum.

— janelle gelfand, Cincinnati.com, "Chamber Orchestra's celestial concert is out of this world," 15 Aug. 2017
Floyd's not a leader either, but Floyd is closer to the tempo, to the pulse.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "James Baldwin: How to Cool It," 2 Aug. 2017
Limp Wrist ease up on the throttle, and the slightly less frenzied tempos let Sorrondeguy deliver his passionate lyrics slowly enough to be comprehensible even to someone who's never seen a basement show.

— bill meyer, Chicago Reader, "Reviewed: Twista’s disjointed but generous Crook County and 11 more new releases," 26 July 2017
For the Air Force, however, the high tempo of combat operations began 26 years ago, with enforcement of the no-fly zone in Iraq after Desert Storm.

— george will, National Review, "The Air Force Faces the Future," 19 July 2017
Strode’s workout was intense, including an up-tempo set of squats, tricep dips and lunges.

— macaela mackenzie, Allure, "This Pregnant Fitness Blogger Did A Workout While in Labor," 14 July 2017
Tallon said the Panthers didn’t make Jagr an offer because new coach Bob Boughner wants an up-tempo, faster, in-your-face attack, traits that the certain Hall of Famer didn’t necessarily need to amass 765 goals, the third most in NHL history.

— harvey fialkov, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Florida Everblades, a minor-league team, offer Jagr special deal to remain in South Florida," 12 July 2017
Zepp Golf's swing tracker attaches to your golf glove and measures your club plane, club speed, tempo and backswing length.

— Fortune, "These Are the Best Deals for Golfers on Amazon Prime Day," 11 July 2017
Orlando Pride players pushed each other during an up tempo Fourth of July training session, challenging each other after a two-day break.

— iliana limón romero, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando Pride energetic, optimistic they are on verge of win streak," 4 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

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

play

noun

Definition of tempo for English Language Learners

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

TEMPO Defined for Kids

tempo

play

noun tem·po \ ˈtem-pō \

Definition of tempo for Students

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.

Learn More about tempo

Spanish Central: Translation of tempo Nglish: Translation of tempo for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tempo for Arabic speakers

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tempo

Definition of tempo

Examples of tempo in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of tempo

Other Music Terms

TEMPO Defined for English Language Learners

tempo

Definition of tempo for English Language Learners

TEMPO Defined for Kids

tempo

Definition of tempo for Students

Word Root of tempo

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tempo

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Origin and Etymology of tempo

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TEMPO Defined for English Language Learners

tempo

Definition of tempo for English Language Learners

TEMPO Defined for Kids

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Definition of tempo for Students

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