largo
adjective
slow; in a broad, dignified style.
largo
1 American
[lahr-goh]
/ ˈlɑr goʊ /
adjective
noun
largos
plural
Largo
2
American
[lahr-goh]
/ ˈlɑr goʊ /
noun
largo
British
/ ˈlɑːɡəʊ /
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of largo
From Italian, dating back to 1675–85; see origin at large
Explanation
Music played or sung largo is slow and dignified, giving it a serious or solemn vibe. There isn't a lot of hurried movement between beats in a largo piece, so you probably won't see many eighth or sixteenth notes. Largo literally means "wide" or "broad" in Italian — but what does "broad" mean in music? It means that performing the music slowly shouldn’t result in a greater focus on the individual notes and chords. Rather, the focus should be on the "big picture" of the music, giving a sense of each musical phrase and its place in the flow of the whole piece. In that way, even though the music is slow, the listener feels swept along on a current of movement.
Vocabulary lists containing largo
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.
Hay first reported the assaults to police in Largo, Fla., he has said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Access to a number of sites that currently charge for entry will become free for Rome's residents, such as the Sacred Area of Largo Argentina.
From BBC • Dec. 19, 2025
Though they loved playing a “he/him,” Martin, who still regularly does stand-up at Largo and other L.A. venues, found Alex quite challenging.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025
It grew out of ELO’s regal rock and Serge Gainsbourg’s loucheness, taking on bits of U.K. trip-hop, midcentury exotica, the Largo scene’s orchestral flourishes and Daft Punk’s talkboxes.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025
Highway One, my dad racing up the eighteen-mile stretch from Key Largo to the mainland.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
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.
