staccato

American  

[stuh-kah-toh] / stəˈkɑ toʊ /

adjective

1. shortened and detached when played or sung.

   staccato notes.

2. characterized by performance in which the notes are abruptly disconnected.

   a staccato style of playing.

3. composed of or characterized by abruptly disconnected elements; disjointed.

   rapid-fire, staccato speech.

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adverb

1. in a staccato manner.

noun

staccatos, plural staccati plural

1. performance in a staccato manner.

2. a staccato passage.

staccato British  

/ stəˈkɑːtəʊ /

adjective

1. music (of notes) short, clipped, and separate

2. characterized by short abrupt sounds, as in speech

   a staccato command

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adverb

1. (esp used as a musical direction) in a staccato manner

staccato Cultural  

1. A direction in music meaning that the notes should be performed in an abrupt, sharp, clear-cut manner.

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Discover More

The term staccato has been applied generally to things that occur in rapid bursts, such as gunfire.

Etymology

Origin of staccato

1715–25; < Italian: disconnected, past participle of staccare (derivative of stacca pole < Gothic, but taken as a variant of distaccare to detach )

Explanation

Staccato is a musical term for notes that are played quickly and sharply. It can also refer to anything characterized by similar beats, such as the staccato clacking of a woman's high heels on a tile floor. There is nothing quite so pleasant as lying in bed on a Saturday morning listening to the staccato tapping of rain on the roof, knowing that everything you had planned will now be canceled. Other staccato sounds are not so pleasant — like your neighbor learning to play the drums or a jack hammer blaring right outside your window.

Example Sentences

The book’s 47 staccato chapters jump from one subject to another without much of a discernible pattern.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Most recently, complaints around the staccato beat from pickleball games prompted local authorities to shorten court hours and put out noise reminders.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

“Does the question disturb you?” he continued in a series of staccato questions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

There was a kind of rhythm, a fast staccato he could get.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2025

There were many staccato footfalls back and forth in the bathroom, which meant, he knew, that his mother was attempting to accomplish several phases of her toilet at once.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

• litany
• recurrence
• reiteration
• repeat
• rhythm