rallentando

[ rah-luhn-tahn-doh; Italian rahl-len-tahn-daw ]

/ ˌrɑ lənˈtɑn doʊ; Italian ˌrɑl lɛnˈtɑn dɔ /

Save This Word!

adjective

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

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of rallentando

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

Words nearby rallentando

rale, Raleigh, Raleigh, Sir Walter, Ralik Chain, rall., rallentando, ralliform, ralline, rally, rally around, rallycross

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rallentando in a sentence

Teach yourself to make a rallentando evenly by watching the drops of water cease as you turn off a tap.
Theodor Leschetizky|Annette Hullah
She put into her movements a certain fullness of swing, to bring out the effect which a marked rallentando gives the notes.
Montessori Elementary Materials|Maria Montessori
Such a rallentando effect is like the apparent pause in the rush of a river before it thunders over a precipice.
Play-Making|William Archer
Or we can gradually increase or decrease our tempo, creating accelerando and rallentando effects.
Irradiations; Sand and Spray|John Gould Fletcher

I can hear the diminuendo rallentando of the orchestra as the gold dulls, the scarlet fades to rose, the rose to pink.
An American Girl in Munich|Mabel W. Daniels

British Dictionary definitions for rallentando

rallentando

/ (ˌrælɛnˈtændəʊ) /

adjective, adverb

music becoming slowerAbbreviation: rall Also: ritardando, ritenuto

Word Origin for rallentando

C19: Italian, from rallentare to slow down

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012