andante

American  

[ahn-dahn-tey, an-dan-tee, ahn-dahn-te] / ɑnˈdɑn teɪ, ænˈdæn ti, ɑnˈdɑn tɛ /

adjective

1. moderately slow and even.

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noun

andantes plural

1. an andante movement or piece.

andante British  

/ ænˈdænteɪ /

adjective

1. (to be performed) at a moderately slow tempo

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noun

1. a passage or piece to be performed in this manner

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• andantes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of andante

1735–45; < Italian: literally, walking, present participle of andare to walk, go ( see -ant); etymology disputed, but often alleged: < Vulgar Latin *ambitare, derivative of Latin ambitus circular motion, roundabout journey ( see ambit); perhaps, alternatively, early Latin borrowing < Gaulish *andā-, akin to Latin pandere to spread (hence, stride); compare passus step, pace (action noun *pand-tu- ), equivalent to Old Irish ēs footprint, track

Explanation

Use the word andante to describe a relatively slow, moderately paced tune. Your piano teacher might tell you to play a piece andante. The word andante, particularly common in classical music, is sometimes described as "at a walking pace." An andante movement in a symphony is faster than adagio but slower than allegro. Like so many musical words describing tempo, andante is Italian, a form of the verb andare, "to go." The Latin root, ambire, means "to go around" or "to go about."

Example Sentences

I always get the Andante, a cold brew with maple syrup, salted sweet cream foam, cacao powder and pink salt.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Decadence and decay are the alternative, which may be why Peter Greenaway used that Andante to mark the merry, casual drownings in his film “Drowning by Numbers.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2021

Her encore, the Andante from Bach’s BWV 1003 solo Sonata, was a limpid, somber foil.

From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2020

But bucking current convention, he adopted the movement order of Mahler’s performances, rather than that of his original score, with the Andante in second place and the Scherzo in third.

From New York Times • Oct. 7, 2016

Its first movement is labelled "Andante sostenuto," and commences with a long introduction for the piano, somewhat in the style of Bach.

From Masters of French Music by Hervey, Arthur