falsetto
Americannoun
plural
falsettos-
an unnaturally or artificially high-pitched voice or register, especially in a man.
-
a person, especially a man, who sings with such a voice.
adjective
adverb
noun
Etymology
Origin of falsetto
1765–75; < Italian, equivalent to fals ( o ) (< Latin falsus false ) + -etto -et
Explanation
Falsetto is a male singing voice that's unusually high. It's a voice so high it sounds false. A guy singing a mean falsetto could break a wine glass! Falsetto is a musical term for a male voice that's artificially high. Falsetto means “artificial voice” and comes from the Italian word falso for “false.” When men suddenly sing way up high above their speaking voices, it can sound almost fake. This word can also be used as an adjective — you could say he's a falsetto singer or a certain part should be sung with a falsetto voice. When you see the word falsetto, think "high voice."
Vocabulary lists containing falsetto
The Catcher in the Rye
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Music - Middle School
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The Sea of Monsters
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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.
On “All Them Horses” Mr. Kahan ably channels Mr. Vernon’s falsetto howl on a song that uses a flood as a metaphor for personal transformation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Singing in a delicate falsetto, his voice conveys some of the frailty of age, lending the song a powerful emotional punch.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
As it unfolds, Mr. Ellis’s voice effortlessly slides between registers, conveying shifts in emphasis by judicious use of falsetto, which is often layered via multitrack.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025
His falsetto found new registers of rapture and longing.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025
And, toward the end, reached falsetto notes, appealing to his listeners understanding.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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.
