rit.

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The word "rit." is an abbreviation for the Italian term "ritardando," which is used in music. It is an adjective that tells musicians to gradually slow down the tempo, or speed, of the music.

Usage Instructions:

• When to use: You will see "rit." written in musical scores or sheet music to instruct musicians to decrease their speed.
• How to read it: When you see "rit.," it means to start slowing down the music gradually rather than stopping suddenly.

Example:

• If a piece of music has the instruction "rit." written at a certain point, it means that the musicians should begin to play more slowly from that point onward.
• For instance, if a song is playing quickly, and you see "rit.," it would slowly start to feel more relaxed and drawn out.

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced discussions about music, "rit." can be combined with other terms to indicate how much to slow down or how long to maintain that slower tempo. For example, "rit. poco a poco" means to slow down little by little.

Word Variants:

• Ritardando: The full Italian term from which "rit." is derived.
• Ritenuto: Another musical term that also indicates a decrease in tempo but often suggests a more sudden stop.

Different Meanings:

While "rit." primarily refers to slowing down in music, it does not have other meanings in English outside of this context.

Synonyms:

In the context of music, similar terms might include: - Slow down: This is a general term used in everyday language. - Decelerate: This is a more technical term that means to decrease speed.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "rit." in English.

Summary:

"Rit." is a musical term that instructs musicians to gradually slow down the tempo of the music.

Academic

Adjective

1. gradually decreasing in tempo

Synonyms

• rallentando
• ritardando
• ritenuto