tempo

American  

[tem-poh] / ˈtɛm poʊ /

noun

plural

tempos, tempi

1. Music. relative rapidity or rate of movement, usually indicated by such terms as adagio, allegro, etc., or by reference to the metronome.

2. characteristic rate, rhythm, or pattern of work or activity.

   the tempo of city life.

3. Chess. the gaining or losing of time and effectiveness relative to one's continued mobility or developing position, especially with respect to the number of moves required to gain an objective.

   Black gained a tempo.

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tempo British  

/ ˈtɛmpəʊ /

noun

1. the speed at which a piece or passage of music is meant to be played, usually indicated by a musical direction ( tempo marking ) or metronome marking

2. rate or pace

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tempo Cultural  

1. In music, the speed at which a piece is performed. It is the Italian word for “time.”

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Etymology

Origin of tempo

1680–90; < Italian < Latin tempus time

Example Sentences

Despite this relative lull in the tempo of Iranian attacks, the growing belief across the Gulf is that things will soon turn for the worse before getting better.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

It’s a little silly and corny, yes, but manages to vary the tempo and can even tug at one’s heartstrings by showing the bond between siblings.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

"The tempo of activity needed to make this shield persistent while also prosecuting targets on the Iranian mainland will likely prove highly resource intensive, however."

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

The tempo of operations has been high from the the start.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Nigro felt they wouldn’t tolerate Bobby’s sometimes languorous tempo, so he’d be forced to quicken his play and therefore his thinking.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• cadence
• momentum
• pace
• velocity