rallentando

American  

[rah-luhn-tahn-doh, rahl-len-tahn-daw] / ˌrɑ lənˈtɑn doʊ, ˌrɑl lɛnˈtɑn dɔ /

adjective

1. slackening; becoming slower (used as a musical direction).

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rallentando British  

/ ˌrælɛnˈtændəʊ /

adjective

1. Also: ritardando.   ritenuto.   rall.  music becoming slower

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Etymology

Origin of rallentando

1805–15; < Italian, gerund of rallentare to slow down; lento

Compare meaning

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

• rallentando vs. ritardando

Example Sentences

So I ran to the music, and, sure enough, that’s exactly what C.P.E. was asking for — no diminuendo, no rallentando, nothing.

From New York Times

But now the professional frustrations of midlife, mixed with the rallentando of getting on in years, contributed to an overwhelming sense of decline and failure.

From The Guardian

His tendency to insert a long silence before the final chord, at the end of a mannered rallentando, was the only interpretive tic that wearied.

From Washington Post

Finally, after publication on 10 April 1925, the fate of the novel and the novelist's own creative rallentando fuse into the Gatsby myth.

From The Guardian

The spirit of Clive James was as undimmed, and as witty as ever, but his tempo was rallentando, not rubato, conducted in a minor key of reflective and poignant sweetness.

From The Guardian