adagio

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

/ əˈdɑ dʒoʊ, -ʒiˌoʊ; Italian ɑˈdɑ dʒɔ /

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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.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of adagio

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

Words nearby adagio

Ada, ad absurdum, adactylous, Adad, adage, adagio, Adah, Adak, Adam, Adama, Adam-and-Eve

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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.