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Glite Dictionary
meno mosso

meno mosso

9.9
Played more slowly to make the music feel calmer
  • adjective
  • /ˈmɛn.oʊ ˈmɔ.soʊ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : meno mosso
  • The composer marked the next section meno mosso to create a gentle contrast.

Examples

  • The conductor instructed the orchestra to play meno mosso.

  • The transition was highlighted by a sudden change to meno mosso, giving the music a calmer feel.

  • As the piece approached the coda, the tempo shifted to meno mosso.

  • Can you play that section meno mosso?

  • The composer marked the next section meno mosso to create a gentle contrast.

  • The transition was highlighted by a sudden change to meno mosso, giving the music a calmer feel.

  • As the piece approached the coda, the tempo shifted to meno mosso.

Synonyms

adagio
vsmeno mosso
  • Specialized
7.9

Slowly when you play music

is the relative slowing from the previous tempo rather than an absolute slow speed
lento
vsmeno mosso
  • Specialized
8.1

Played or sung slowly

is the relative slowing from the previous tempo rather than an absolute slow speed

How Fast

presto
  • Specialized
7.3
allegro
  • Specialized
3 8.0
moderato
  • Specialized
7.6
meno mosso
  • Specialized
9.9
andante
  • Specialized
1 8.2
adagio
  • Specialized
7.9
largo
  • Specialized
8.4

Surface Forms

meno mosso positive

Morphology

meno + mosso

The phrase is fully compositional: in musical Italian 'meno' means 'less' and 'mosso' relates to 'movement' or 'motion', so 'meno mosso' literally signals 'less movement' → a reduced tempo. Therefore a B1 learner who already knows the constituent words can transparently derive the meaning, though in practice many English learners will not know these Italian musical terms.

Etymology

Meno mosso comes from two Italian words, meno and mosso, meaning 'less' and 'moved'. So, it tells musicians to play with less movement, making the music calmer and slower.