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Glite Dictionary
🐢 A tempo slowdown 🐢 To slow down
to ritard

to ritard

9.0
To make the music slower gradually
  • verb
  • /rɪˈtɑrd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ritardar
  • The conductor signaled the orchestra to ritard at the end of the movement.

Examples

  • The pianist chose to ritard before the final chord for dramatic effect.

  • If the music feels too fast, you can ritard slightly to match the mood.

  • The conductor asked the orchestra to ritard before the final note.

  • Please ritard slightly at the end of the piece.

  • The conductor signaled the orchestra to ritard at the end of the movement.

  • If the music feels too fast, you can ritard slightly to match the mood.

  • The pianist chose to ritard before the final chord for dramatic effect.

Synonyms

to slow down
vsto ritard
687 1.4

To move or act more slowly

is a musical instruction to reduce tempo gradually

Antonyms

to accelerate
  • Specialized
331 3.7

To move faster or make something happen faster

How Slow

to ritard
  • Specialized
9.0
to decelerate
10 5.5
to slow down
687 1.4

Surface Forms

ritard infinitive
ritarded past
ritarded past participle
ritarding present participle
ritards third person singular

Etymology

Ritard as a verb comes from Italian ritardare 'to delay' and the musical form ritardando, all meaning 'to make slow'. So when you ritard, you slow the music little by little to add feeling or to lead into the final note.