What does lento mean?
Lento is an Italian-derived musical term meaning “slowly.” It appears in scores to tell performers to reduce the speed of a passage, often in combination with another instruction such as piano, meaning softly, or cantabile, meaning in a singing style. Because the term is concise and internationally recognized, it is retained in English even though ordinary language more often uses “slowly” or the tempo marking “adagio.” Lento can also be used more broadly in discussions of music, dance, or performance to describe a slow, deliberate manner. Its name comes ultimately from Latin lentus, meaning “slow,” reflecting the long history of related musical vocabulary borrowed from Italian. Knowing lento is useful for reading scores, discussing musical pacing, and recognizing the Italian instructions common in classical and contemporary music.
adverbSlowly, in music. Lento is an Italian tempo direction instructing performers to play at a slow speed.
- At a slow speed, especially as a direction in a musical score.
"The second movement is marked lento, allowing the strings to sustain each phrase with solemn deliberation."
"The violins enter after the opening phrase, marked piano e lento."
"The song's final section unfolds lento, with the piano fading into the background."
Lento gives performers a direct command in a single Italian word: play slowly.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lento come from?
English borrowed lento from Italian, where it is the musical direction meaning “slow.” Italian lento derives from Latin lentus, an adjective meaning “slow,” “sluggish,” or “loose.” The term entered English through the widespread use of Italian musical terminology, where it survived in its original form as a tempo instruction.
How lento is actually used
Lento is used chiefly as a musical direction and is normally italicized in running text. It is often paired with another marking, such as piano, to specify both tempo and dynamics. In broader artistic use, it can describe movement or presentation that is deliberately slow.
Easily confused with lento
Lento is an Italian musical direction meaning slowly, whereas adagio is both an Italian-derived musical tempo marking and a broader English adverb meaning at a slow pace.