spiritoso

American

[spir-i-toh-soh, spee-ree-taw-saw] / ˌspɪr ɪˈtoʊ soʊ, ˌspi riˈtɔ sɔ /

adjective

spirited; spirit; lively (used as a musical direction).

spiritoso British

/ ˌspɪrɪˈtəʊsəʊ /

adjective

music (often preceded by a tempo marking) to be played in a spirited or animated manner

allegro spiritoso

"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

Etymology

Origin of spiritoso

From Italian, dating back to 1715–25; spirit, -ose ¹

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.

When, however, the subject of the song requires anything of the spiritoso or veloce, the strain is sung with verve and even furore.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023