falsetto

1 of 2

noun

fal·​set·​to fȯl-ˈse-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce falsetto (audio)
plural falsettos
1
: an artificially high voice
especially : an artificially produced singing voice that overlaps and extends above the range of the full voice especially of a tenor
2
: a singer who uses falsetto

falsetto

2 of 2

adverb

: in falsetto

Examples of falsetto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Bursts of laughter rose above Smoky Robinson’s smooth falsetto, a siren song of resilience. Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025 Kenney enhanced the falsetto parts in the chorus with different instruments – a mandolin in the first chorus, electric guitar in the second – trailing the vocal and creating a dreamy mood. Tom Roland, Billboard, 14 Jan. 2025
Adverb
The Neighbourhood The Neighbourhood knows how to pair a high-flying falsetto vocal with a gut-rumbling low-end synth line. John Adamian, courant.com, 18 June 2018 Across those three tracks, Timberlake fashioned a new sound with the Neptunes, the production duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, shedding his pop-singer sheen for dirty drums, falsetto vocal runs, and, notably, guitar. Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2018 See all Example Sentences for falsetto 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian, from diminutive of falso false, from Latin falsus

First Known Use

Noun

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of falsetto was in 1721

Dictionary Entries Near falsetto

Cite this Entry

“Falsetto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/falsetto. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

falsetto

noun
fal·​set·​to
fȯl-ˈset-ō
plural falsettos
: an artificially high voice

More from Merriam-Webster on falsetto

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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