tempo
Americannoun
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tempos,
plural
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tempi
plural
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Music. relative rapidity or rate of movement, usually indicated by such terms as adagio, allegro, etc., or by reference to the metronome.
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characteristic rate, rhythm, or pattern of work or activity.
the tempo of city life.
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Chess. the gaining or losing of time and effectiveness relative to one's continued mobility or developing position, especially with respect to the number of moves required to gain an objective.
Black gained a tempo.
noun
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the speed at which a piece or passage of music is meant to be played, usually indicated by a musical direction ( tempo marking ) or metronome marking
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rate or pace
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tempo
1680–90; < Italian < Latin tempus time
Explanation
If no one is dancing at your party, you probably want to put on some music with a faster tempo — meaning a faster speed. The word tempo came into English by way of Italian, tracing all the way back to the Latin word tempus, meaning time. It was originally used to describe the timing of music, or the speed at which a piece of music is played. For example, a soothing song would be described as a slow tempo song. Tempo is still used in this way to describe music, but you’ll also hear it used to refer to pace or speed in general, as in — "the increased tempo at the end of a close basketball game" or "the slow tempo of action in a novel."
Vocabulary lists containing tempo
It's About Time: Chron and Temp
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Music - Introductory
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Music - Middle School
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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:
“Hitch a Ride” starts as a ballad akin to the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence,” but the tempo quickly picks up, and multiple guitars come and go with an organ underneath.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Blumenthal said the reported issues on the ship raise the broader question of "whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force."
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Ismael Camenforte Lopez, described in Germany as his manager's "ball butler", is known for feeding balls into training matches, allowing sessions to be played at a high tempo.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
A rise-and-fall tempo is necessary — even if, in the case of “Gail Daughtry,” the undulation is almost imperceptible.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
In Connellsville, right from the start, the play clips along at the tempo Volpe wanted.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Conductor Eun Sun Kim, her tempi flexible and unindulgent and her dynamics well-calibrated, never forgot that “Parsifal” is an opera, not a religious service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
Froschauer praises Thielemann for interacting with musicians, deferring in performance to the tempi of former concertmaster Rainer Küchl.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2023
I’d map out the terrain of the evening and the tempi of movements as though plotting a hike into someone else’s imagination.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 23, 2022
Caruana chooses a modest line against the super-solid Berlin Ruy Lopez, and claims an edge when Black gives up a good defender and several tempi trying to eliminate White’s bishop pair: 9.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 2, 2021
The following are some terms and their beats per minute to help you gauge different tempi.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
The beats are mostly bass-heavy variations on trap, with its slower tempos and busy high-hats, and there are very few musical interruptions as Drake lays out what is on his mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
She sang traditional gospel songs with contemporary jazz tempos that she played on her electric guitar.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
Last fall, the company launched 30 product updates that included “lossless” audio and playlist mixing, in which users can add transitions and match tempos between songs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026
In addition, many investors calibrate their outlooks during earnings season to reflect companies’ guidance, which affects short-term market tempos.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025
It is appropriate to introduce a few concepts when performing songs and games with children, and also to experiment with these concepts, such as changing tempos and dynamics.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
