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

Sinatra’s idea, however, was to start with love songs and put them into a swinging, danceable tempo, but at the same time to retain their intrinsic intimacy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 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

"Although they picked a strong side, they missed not having Granit Xhaka in the middle to control the tempo of play from the start," Murray said.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

His words come out slow, like somebody turned down the tempo on his voice.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• cadence
• momentum
• pace
• velocity