What does "tempo" mean?
A frequency or rate.
Tempo
/ˈtɛm.poʊ/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A frequency or rate.
- Grammar: tempo is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: pace, accelerated pace, andante, andante tempo.
- Useful contrasts: low pace, slowness.
- Usage evidence: The rhythm is light, and the tempo fast - that song is liked by young people.
How to use "tempo"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tempo" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tempo" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tempo" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tempo" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tempo" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "pace" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tempo", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A frequency or rate.
"10 calls per hour isn't a bad start, but we'll need to up the tempo if we want to reach our target of selling insurance policies."
- 2 A temporary carport.
- 3 A type of car shelter, a temporary kit-built prefabricated steel-framed high tunnel peaked hoop house with an impermeable translucent plastic fabric cover, and flap doors. Quebec
- 4 (music) the speed at which a composition is to be played wordnet
- 5 A move which is part of one's own plan or strategy and forces, e.g. by means of a check or attacking a piece, the opponent to make a move which is not bad but of no use (the player gains a tempo, the opponent loses a tempo), or equivalently a player achieves the same result in fewer moves by one approach rather than another.
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 the rate of some repeating event wordnet
- 7 The timing advantage of being on lead, thus being first to initiate a strategy to develop tricks for one's side.
- 8 The timing of a particular event – earlier or later than in an alternative situation (as in chess example)
- 9 The number of beats per minute in a piece of music; also, an indicative term denoting approximate rate of speed in written music (examples: allegro, andante)
- 10 The steady pace set by the frontmost riders.
- 11 A small truck or cargo van with three or four wheels, commonly used for commercial transport and deliveries (particularly in Asian and African countries).
"From the back door of a tempo with his too-strong hands he lifted a woman wearing red clothes, like a precious jewel wrapped in gold embroidered cloth."
- 12 A rapid rate of play by the offense resulting from reducing the amount of time which elapses after one play ends and the next starts.
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
low paceslowness
Example
"The rhythm is light, and the tempo fast - that song is liked by young people."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tempo"?
Common synonyms include: pace, accelerated pace, andante, andante tempo, arrhythmia, beat.
How do you use "tempo" in a sentence?
The rhythm is light, and the tempo fast - that song is liked by young people.
How do you pronounce "tempo"?
Pronounced /ˈtɛm.poʊ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Italian tempo, from Latin tempus (“time”). Doublet of tense. (truck or cargo van): A genericized trademark, originally associated with the manufacturer Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke GmbH.
Etymology 2
Clipping of temporary.
Etymology 3
Genericization of the trademark Tempo. From the name of a popular manufacturer of such structures. Clipping of temporary.