tempo

American  

[tem-poh] / ˈtɛm poʊ /

noun

tempos, plural tempi plural

1. Music. relative rapidity or rate of movement, usually indicated by such terms as adagio, allegro, etc., or by reference to the metronome.

2. characteristic rate, rhythm, or pattern of work or activity.

   the tempo of city life.

3. Chess. the gaining or losing of time and effectiveness relative to one's continued mobility or developing position, especially with respect to the number of moves required to gain an objective.

   Black gained a tempo.

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tempo British  

/ ˈtɛmpəʊ /

noun

1. the speed at which a piece or passage of music is meant to be played, usually indicated by a musical direction ( tempo marking ) or metronome marking

2. rate or pace

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tempo Cultural  

1. In music, the speed at which a piece is performed. It is the Italian word for “time.”

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• tempi
  plural
• tempos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tempo

1680–90; < Italian < Latin tempus time

Explanation

If no one is dancing at your party, you probably want to put on some music with a faster tempo — meaning a faster speed. The word tempo came into English by way of Italian, tracing all the way back to the Latin word tempus, meaning time. It was originally used to describe the timing of music, or the speed at which a piece of music is played. For example, a soothing song would be described as a slow tempo song. Tempo is still used in this way to describe music, but you’ll also hear it used to refer to pace or speed in general, as in — "the increased tempo at the end of a close basketball game" or "the slow tempo of action in a novel."

Example Sentences

I think his legs have gone to play at that high tempo and high intensity.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Attendees at the 1864 premiere there included not only the Parisian elite but the composers Meyerbeer, Auber and Ambroise Thomas; in rehearsal, Rossini himself turned pages for the first pianist and nodded tempo instructions.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Some controversial jokes by lesser, edgy comedians fell flat but Jeff Ross, the master of roasts, held the tempo together and kept the roast moving forward.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

Most of the tracks fell within a tempo range of about 120-140 beats per minute.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

Metronomes often come with other tempo indications written on them, but this is misleading.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• cadence
• momentum
• pace
• velocity