mezzo forte
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of mezzo forte
1805–15; < Italian: literally, half loud
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.
This was Nézet-Séguin the extrovert, who deploys the orchestra in the opera house like an instrument of fate, keeping the baseline volume at mezzo forte.
From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2022
That would have left room for any soloist, but Chen rarely dipped below mezzo forte in volume, his force evident in the many bow hairs he broke during the performance.
From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2022
And I said, ‘But, you know ...‘ And he said: ‘No buts. You end with mezzo forte, you’re basically telling the audience, the heck with you. You’re not bringing them somewhere by doing that.’
From New York Times ● Aug. 6, 2015
If the wood winds sound ragged, he stops the players, explains to the culprit that he has been playing piano instead of mezzo forte, achieves on the next try a precise, organlike tone.
From Time Magazine Archive
Moderate, mezzo forte crescendo, basses and then tenors intoned the first portentous words: "Who must file."
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
