rubato

American  

[roo-bah-toh, roo-bah-taw] / ruˈbɑ toʊ, ruˈbɑ tɔ /

adjective

1. having certain notes arbitrarily lengthened while others are correspondingly shortened, or vice versa.

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noun

plural

rubatos, rubati

1. a rubato phrase or passage.

2. a rubato performance.

adverb

1. in a rubato manner.

rubato British  

/ ruːˈbɑːtəʊ /

noun

1. flexibility of tempo in performance

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adjective

1. to be played with a flexible tempo

Etymology

Origin of rubato

1880–85; < Italian ( tempo ) rubato stolen (time), past participle of rubare to steal < Germanic; rob

Example Sentences

I told them, ‘Is there a way we can find space for rubato, pianissimo, glissando — all of that — so we can really play in the music?’

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2025

You mentioned the rubato that a solo piano can more easily articulate than two players or a full orchestra.

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2024

Unwritten flourishes — a crescendo here, some rubato there — add to the impetuous atmosphere.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2022

When the first movement moved into a wistful, bluesy episode, Mr. Trifonov shaped the phrases with unabashed Russian Romantic rubato.

From New York Times • Sep. 21, 2018

When Liszt speaks of the tempo rubato as a unique characteristic of Chopin's style, he must not be understood too literally.

From Chopin and Other Musical Essays by Finck, Henry Theophilus