adagio

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

ada·​gio ə-ˈdä-j(ē-ˌ)ō 

ä-,

-zh(ē-ˌ)ō

: at a slow tempo

—used chiefly as a direction in music

adagio

2 of 2

noun

plural adagios

1

: a musical composition or movement in adagio tempo

2

: a ballet duet by a man and woman or a mixed trio displaying difficult feats of balance, lifting, or spinning

Examples of adagio in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb or adjective

Next comes adagio work, or slower sustained movements and balances, without the aid of a barre. —New York Times, 25 Mar. 2020

But in the sublime, time-stopping Poco adagio, the gentle purr of the organ beneath the orchestra sounds one-dimensional. —Barbara Jepson, WSJ, 31 Dec. 2018

Noun

One dancer did classical ballet steps on a Parisian rooftop, including an expressive adagio. —NBC News, 27 July 2024

Advertisement The adagio, with pulsating string textures and grinding suspensions over dutiful baroque harmonic sequences leads into an aggressive, if academic, fugue. —Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adverb or adjective

borrowed from Italian, from the phrase ad agio, literally, "at ease," from ad, a "to, at" (going back to Latin ad) + agio "ease, convenience," borrowed from Old French aise, eise — more at at entry 1, ease entry 1

Noun

borrowed from Italian, derivative of adagio adagio entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

1680, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

adagio

1 of 2 adverb or adjective

ada·​gio ə-ˈdäj-ō 

-ˈdäj-ē-ˌō,

-ˈdäzh-

: in an easy graceful manner : slowly

—used as a direction in music

adagio

2 of 2 noun

1

: a musical composition or movement in adagio tempo

2

: a ballet duet or trio displaying difficult feats of balance, lifting, or spinning