adagio

[ uh-dah-joh, -zhee-oh; Italian ah-dah-jaw ]

/ əˈdɑ dʒoʊ, -ʒiˌoʊ; Italian ɑˈdɑ dʒɔ /

Save This Word!

adverb

Music. in a leisurely manner; slowly.

adjective

Music. slow.

noun, plural a·da·gios.

Music. an adagio movement or piece.

Dance.

a sequence of well-controlled, graceful movements performed as a display of skill.
a duet by a man and a woman or mixed trio emphasizing difficult technical feats.
(especially in ballet) a love-duet sequence in a pas de deux.

QUIZ

SPRINT TO THE FINISH WITH THIS OLYMPICS QUIZ!

Compete in our Olympics quiz to see if you can take home the gold medal in Olympics knowledge.

Question 1 of 10

Where was the Olympics first held?

ancient Rome

ancient Greece

ancient Persia

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of adagio

1740–50; <Italian, for ad agio at ease; agio<Old Provençal ais or Old French aise (see ease)

Words nearby adagio

ad absurdum, adactylous, adactyly, Adad, adage, adagio, Adah, Adak, Adalat, Adam, Adama

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use adagio in a sentence

Kellow thinks “moved at a perfect adagio tempo that was nevertheless surprisingly novel and hardly ever dull.”
The Only Critic That Mattered|Allen Barra|November 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The coming of the storm (repetition of the theme which follows the adagio and the further development of it).
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
After the adagio from the First Symphony—also included in the programme—even a slight hissing was heard.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
Karasowski says mistakingly that the movement referred to is the Adagio of the E minor Concerto.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks

And Schumann exclaims: "What are ten editorial crowns compared to one such Adagio as that in the second concerto!"
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks
The Adagio is very fine in its way, but such is its cloying sweetness that one longs for something bracing and active.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks

British Dictionary definitions for adagio

adagio

/ (əˈdɑːdʒɪˌəʊ, Italian aˈdadʒo) music /

adjective, adverb

(to be performed) slowly

noun plural -gios

a movement or piece to be performed slowly

ballet a slow section of a pas de deux

Word Origin for adagio

C18: Italian, from ad at + agio ease

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for adagio

adagio

[ (uh-dah-joh, uh-dah-zhee-oh) ]

A very slow musical tempo.