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).

---

rallentando British  

/ ˌrælɛnˈtændəʊ /

adjective

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

---

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

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 • May 31, 2014

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

From The Guardian • Jun. 2, 2013

In music it is called rallentando, a gradual slackening of tempo, a winding down.

From Time Magazine Archive

Or we can gradually increase or decrease our tempo, creating accelerando and rallentando effects.

From Irradiations; Sand and Spray by Fletcher, John Gould