sotto voce
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of sotto voce
First recorded in 1730–40; from Italian adverb sottovoce, “in a low voice,” from sotto “under” + voce “voice” ( see origin at voice ( def. ))
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
John: sotto voce, just barely in range: “In the army, perhaps.”
From Salon ● Dec. 23, 2025
But instead, the trip is taking place sotto voce.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2024
He clearly relishes soft playing, with sensitive effects of distant bells and moonlit drizzles in Messiaen’s “La Colombe” and “Le Nombre Léger,” and a murmured sotto voce in Chopin’s Op.
From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2024
“Hi, Baby Cakes,” she said to the chihuahua/miniature pinscher mix, adding in sotto voce, “He is one of a bonded trio.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 28, 2021
“Think I’m stupid?” said Alice, but sotto voce.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
