ritardando

American  

[ree-tahr-dahn-doh, ree-tahr-dahn-daw] / ˌri tɑrˈdɑn doʊ, ˌri tɑrˈdɑn dɔ /

adjective

Music.

1. becoming gradually slower.

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ritardando British  

/ ˌrɪtɑːˈdændəʊ /

adjective

1.  rit.  another term for rallentando

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Etymology

Origin of ritardando

1805–15; < Italian, gerund of ritardare; retard

Compare meaning

How does ritardando compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• rallentando vs. ritardando

Example Sentences

They also noticed a gradual decrease in tempo, a common feature in human music called a “ritardando.”

From New York Times

Indris also showed the ability to maintain a constant rhythm as they decreased the tempo of their songs, a process known as ritardando in classical music.

From Scientific American

“Knowing all these words — for example, ‘crescendo,’ ‘diminuendo,’ ‘ritardando,’ which means to slow down, ‘fortissimo,’ which means play extremely loud” allowed him to “bring emotion to the piece, make it come alive,” he said.

From New York Times

In the second part Beethoven introduced the phrase in A flat major, by a ritardando of the two preceding bars.

From Project Gutenberg

It closes with a drooping, yearning ritardando that quite prepares us for the next languishing measures.

From Project Gutenberg