basso
noun
a person who sings bass; a bass.
basso
1 American
[bas-oh, bah-soh, bahs-saw]
/ ˈbæs oʊ, ˈbɑ soʊ, ˈbɑs sɔ /
noun
Music.
-
bassos,
plural
-
bassi
plural
Basso
2
American
[bas-oh]
/ ˈbæs oʊ /
noun
basso
British
/ ˈbæsəʊ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of basso
1810–20; < Italian < Late Latin bassus. See base 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His debut ad felt like an Aquaman trailer, the veteran and oyster farmer’s basso profondo voice overlaying scenes of him in wet suits, splitting wood, piloting a boat, flying the flag, swinging a kettlebell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
Artificial intelligence can paint meddlesome monkeys, speak in the basso profundo of James Earl Jones and play a tune to suit a hall of mirrors.
From New York Times ● Oct. 31, 2023
There’s a flicker of ironic recognition in the old man yet, for Shakespeare’s verse still flows elegantly out of Page’s basso instrument.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 3, 2023
“My dad was fluent in German,” notes Paul, whose basso profundo tones echo his father’s, “so I’d expect that their tour extended to a few German-speaking countries as well.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2021
Bull had mostly listened that first day as this stricken, energetic man paced the sitting room of his rectory speaking with a mellifluous basso profundo voice that demanded and received unwavering attention.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
As rain fell outside, the charismatic Gianni Basso gave us a tour of his old-school stationer’s workshop and adjoining printmaking museum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
Most affected children die in their teenage years from heart complications, though some, like Sammy Basso -- the oldest known person with Progeria -- live longer.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025
“It’s not that you’re not welcome,” says solo designer Billy Basso.
From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2024
The nuptials, which featured a performance by John Legend, were a black-and-white affair, to which Union wore a strapless Dennis Basso gown from Kleinfeld Bridal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2023
Yet the air is not foul and many a broad street by the Basso Porto in Naples smells far worse.
From The Children of the King by F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford
Oriental shells are made at Rome into beautiful cameos, by the white outer surface being cut away upon the deeper coloured internal part, forming figures in minute bassi relievi.
From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 10, No. 289, December 22, 1827 by Various
Redditus Liberi.—Those quit rents which were paid to the lord by "liberi tenentes," freeholders; as distinguished from "villani bassi tenentes," &c.
From Notes and Queries, Number 195, July 23, 1853 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc by George Bell
Badiali and Corradi Setti were the two barytones, while the two bassi were Marini and Coletti.
From Chapters of Opera Being historical and critical observations and records concerning the lyric drama in New York from its earliest days down to the present time by Henry Edward Krehbiel
Besides the sculptured bassi relievi, these stones bear hieroglyphics painted with a kind of red varnish which remains unimpaired.
From Ancient America, in Notes on American Archaeology by John D. (John Denison) Baldwin
Most of the bassi rilievi, and nearly all the characteristic features of architecture in the various monuments at Athens, have been moulded, and the moulds of them brought to London.
From Anecdotes of Painters, Engravers, Sculptors and Architects, and Curiosities of Art, (Vol. 2 of 3) by Shearjashub Spooner
It listed 34 sopranos, 12 mezzo-sopranos and contraltos, 16 tenors, 15 baritones, 14 bassos and five conductors.
From Time Magazine Archive
But big, forceful bassos are much more common than slender, graceful tenors.
From Time Magazine Archive
A boon to bathtub bassos of willing voice and weak memory: the complete librettos, with piano arrangements, of eleven of the best G & S operettas.
From Time Magazine Archive
Last week, its last this season, the Metropolitan revived Boris for one of its best bassos, Ezio Pinza.
From Time Magazine Archive
The bassos Boris Khristov and Nikolai Ghiaurov, in particular, rank among the great singers of all time.
From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Violeta D. Baluyut
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