Pianissimo

//ˌpi.əˈnɪsɪməʊ// adv, noun

adv, noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A dynamic sign indicating that a portion of music should be played pianissimo.
  2. 2
    (music) low loudness wordnet
  3. 3
    A portion of music that is played very softly.

    "If the Randall Thompson Alleluia lacked the otherworldly awe and mystery the composer intended, the BGMC offered a fair accounting of the work with some wonderfully hushed pianissimos and clearly delineated contrasts in mood."

Adjective
  1. 1
    (chiefly a direction or description in music) very soft wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    Indicating that the piece is to be played very softly.
Adverb
  1. 1
    a direction in music; to be played very softly wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
pianoa cappellaa la sourdineabbandonoaccrescendoadagietto

Example

More examples

"If the Randall Thompson Alleluia lacked the otherworldly awe and mystery the composer intended, the BGMC offered a fair accounting of the work with some wonderfully hushed pianissimos and clearly delineated contrasts in mood."

Etymology

From Italian pianissimo.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.