Meanings
adagio1
nounadagio (plural adagios)
plural adagios
- entertainmentA tempo mark directing that a passage is to be played rather slowly, leisurely and gracefully.
- entertainmentA passage having this mark.
adverbadagio (not comparable)
- not comparableentertainmentPlayed rather slowly.
adjectiveadagio (not comparable)
- not comparableentertainmentDescribing a passage having this mark.
Adagio2
Synonyms & antonyms
adjective(of tempo) leisurely
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Italianad
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
- Proto-Italic*ad
- Proto-Italic*ad-
- Latinad-
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)yeh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)yéh₁kt ~ *(H)ih₁ként
- Latiniaciō
- Latiniaceō
- Latinadiaceō
- Latinadiacēns
- Vulgar Latin*adiace(m)
- Old Occitanaize
- Italianagio
- Italianadagio
- Englishadagio
Borrowed from Italian adagio.
More words from Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 慢板
- 慢板 (mànbǎn)tempo mark indicating that music is to be played slowly
Finnish adagio, adagio
- adagiotempo mark indicating that music is to be played slowly
- adagioplayed slowly
- hitaastiplayed slowly
- adagiodescribing a passage marked "adagio"
Italian adagio
- adagiotempo mark indicating that music is to be played slowly
Polish adagio, adagio
- adagiotempo mark indicating that music is to be played slowly
- adagioplayed slowly
- adagiodescribing a passage marked "adagio"
Portuguese adágio
- adágiotempo mark indicating that music is to be played slowly
Tagalog adahiyo
- adahiyoplayed slowly
Cite this entry
APA
adagio. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adagio
MLA
“adagio.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adagio. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “adagio,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adagio.
Source: adagio on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.