Meanings
plural contraltos · plural contralti
- entertainmentThe lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody.
Out in the yard a womanʼs hoarse contralto intoned a hymn.
1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 681 more example
As for her dress, it was invariably rich, effective, and chic, yet in good taste. Lastly, her feet and hands were astonishing, and her voice a deep contralto.
1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter III, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(1867)/III)Synonyms: alto
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to the same musical pitch range, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveof or being the lowest female voice
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian контраалт
- контраалт (kontraalt)the lowest female voice
Catalan contralt
- contraltthe lowest female voice
Chinese Mandarin 女低音
- 女低音 (nǚdīyīn)the lowest female voice
Finnish kontra-altto
- kontra-alttothe lowest female voice
French contralto
- contraltothe lowest female voice
German Kontraalt
- Kontraaltthe lowest female voice
Hungarian alt
- altthe lowest female voice
Italian contralto
- contraltothe lowest female voice
Japanese コントラルト
- コントラルト (kontoraruto)the lowest female voice
Māori reo taka, reo hakahaka
- reo takathe lowest female voice
- reo hakahakathe lowest female voice
Portuguese contralto
- contraltothe lowest female voice
Russian контра́льто
- контра́льто (kontrálʹto)the lowest female voice
Swedish kontraalt
- kontraaltthe lowest female voice
Vietnamese giọng nữ trầm
- giọng nữ trầmthe lowest female voice
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with contralto
All rhymes →Cite this entry
contralto. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contralto
“contralto.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contralto. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contralto,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contralto.
Source: contralto on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.