aria

[ ahr-ee-uh, air-ee-uh ]

/ ˈɑr i ə, ˈɛər i ə /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR aria ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an air or melody.

an elaborate melody sung solo with accompaniment, as in an opera or oratorio.

RELATED WORDS

hymn, descant, song

Nearby words

argyrophil, argüedas, arhat, arhinia, arhythmia, aria, aria da capo, ariadne, arian, ariane, arianism

Origin of aria

From Italian, dating back to 1735–45; see origin at air¹

Can be confused

area aria

Definition for aria (2 of 3)

Aria

[ ahr-ee-uh, uh-rahy-uh ]

/ ˈɑr i ə, əˈraɪ ə /

noun Classical Mythology.

a nymph, the mother of Miletus, by Apollo.

Definition for aria (3 of 3)

-aria

a suffix occurring in scientific terms of Latin origin, especially in names of biological genera and groups: filaria.

Origin of -aria

< Latin: feminine singular or neuter plural of -ārius -ary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for aria

The basic premise of the fan fic is that Hanna, Spencer, and Aria are all pregnant.
50 Shades of Fall TV: New Girl, Scandal, and More Television Fan Fiction|Amy Zimmerman|October 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But whatever their scandalous relationships are, they pale in comparison to that of Aria.
Pretty Little Liars’ Student-Teacher Love Story|Jaimie Etkin|June 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
But the fact that Aria and Ezra have yet to see any consequences of their relationship is problematic.
Pretty Little Liars’ Student-Teacher Love Story|Jaimie Etkin|June 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Before this performance, the aria had never been performed on television.
7 Stunning Joan Sutherland Performances|Shannon Donnelly, The Daily Beast Video|October 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Sick, she palpitates; she compresses her trepidation; she coughs, perchance she sings a bar or two of an aria.
The Short Works of George Meredith|George Meredith
Aria diri ang libru, kay dì ku makahatud, Come here to get the book, because I have no time to deliver it.
A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan|John U. Wolff
To speak seriously, however, this aria is very beautiful, and particularly fascinating.
Letters of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy from Italy and Switzerland|Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
All present said that no aria had ever affected them like this one; and, indeed, she sang it as it ought to be sung.
The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Vol. 1|Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
In his hands the aria took a new meaning, and the recitative became a flexible and responsive instrument.
Richard Wagner His Life and His Dramas|W. J. Henderson

British Dictionary definitions for aria

aria

/ (ˈɑːrɪə) /

noun

an elaborate accompanied song for solo voice from a cantata, opera, or oratorioSee also da capo

Word Origin for aria

C18: from Italian: tune, air

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

Culture definitions for aria

aria

[ (ahr-ee-uh) ]

A piece of music for one voice (or occasionally two voices) in an opera, oratorio, or cantata. In contrast with recitative singing, arias are melodious; in contrast with ordinary songs, arias are usually elaborate.

Note

Some composers, such as Richard Wagner, have felt that arias interrupt the action of opera too much and hence have written operas without them.