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; see lento

Compare meaning

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

• rallentando vs. ritardando

Explanation

When the instruction rallentando shows up in your sheet music, whether you're singing or playing an instrument, you should start decreasing the tempo. Rallentando means "gradually slowing down" in Italian. It's based on the root word lente, which means "slowly," and anything ending in -ando or -endo in Italian indicates a process, or a gradual change. Ritardando also means "gradually slowing down." What's the difference between the two instructions? Rallentando usually applies when the tempo is about to change from a faster section to a slower one, whereas ritardando is used at the end of a piece, where it slows gradually to a complete stop.

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 • Jan. 18, 2022

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 • Aug. 13, 2017

Now the fate of the novel and the novelist's own creative rallentando fuse into the Gatsby myth.

From The Guardian • Jun. 2, 2013

What's needed to ward off incipient rallentando is a big, distracting counternoise, a Zarathustra crescendo.

From Time Magazine Archive

Aside from a few rallentando places, the etude is to be played strictly in time.

From Chopin : the Man and His Music by Huneker, James