adj · adv · name · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɔːteɪ/
General-American:/ˈfoɹteɪ/
/ˈfoːɹteɪ/non-hoarse-horse; rhotic
/ˈfoəteɪ/non-hoarse-horse; non-rhotic
rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)teɪ
Received-Pronunciation:/fɔːˈteɪ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɔːti/
Received-Pronunciation:/fɔːt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈfoɹ.teɪ/
General-American:/ˈfoɹti/
General-American:/foɹt/
California:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪ
rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)ti
rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)t
/ˈfoːɹt/non-hoarse-horse; rhotic
/ˈfoət/non-hoarse-horse; non-rhotic
CMU ARPABET:F AO1 R T EY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:F AO1 R T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Loud.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
Examples
This passage is forte, then there's a diminuendo to mezzo piano.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
Loudly, as a dynamic in a piece of music.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
Examples
(abbreviation) f
The musicians played the passage forte.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
name
Meaning 3
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A strength or talent; a strong point.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He writes respectably, but poetry is not his forte.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The strong part of a sword blade, close to the hilt.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A passage in music to be played loudly; a loud section of music.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
This forte marks the climax of the second movement.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective
Meaning 7
used chiefly as a direction or description in music
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the forte passages in the composition
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: loud
Antonyms: piano
8
adverb
Meaning 8
used as a direction in music; to be played relatively loudly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: loudly
Antonyms: piano
9
noun
Meaning 9
the stronger part of a sword blade between the hilt and the foible
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: part, portion
10
noun
Meaning 10
(music) loud
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fortissimo
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: volume, loudness, intensity
11
noun
Meaning 11
an asset of special worth or utility
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
cooking is his forte
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: strong suit, long suit, metier, specialty, speciality, strong point, strength
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: asset, plus
Narrower terms: green thumb, green fingers
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian forte (“strong”).
Borrowed 1640–50; earlier fort < Middle French; disyllabic pronunciation by association with Italian forte, from Latin fortis (“strong”). Doublet of fort and fortis.
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
силно
(silno)
— music: loud
Chinese Mandarin:
強 /强
— music: loud
Finnish:
forte
— music: loud
German:
forte
— music: loud
Hungarian:
forte
— music: loud
Russian:
фо́рте
(fórtɛ)
— music: loud
Bulgarian:
форте
(forte)
— music: loudly
Chinese Mandarin:
強 /强
(qiáng)
— music: loudly
Finnish:
fortena
— music: loudly
Finnish:
kovaa
— music: loudly
Finnish:
voimakkaasti
— music: loudly
German:
forte
— music: loudly
Hungarian:
forte
— music: loudly
Japanese:
フォルテ
(forute)
— music: loudly
Russian:
форте
(fórtɛ)
— music: loudly
Bulgarian:
си́ла
(síla)
— strength or talent
Bulgarian:
силна страна
(silna strana)
— strength or talent
Chinese Mandarin:
長處 /长处
(chángchu)
— strength or talent
Chinese Mandarin:
強項 /强项
(qiángxiàng)
— strength or talent
Czech:
silná stránka
— strength or talent
Danish:
stærke side
— strength or talent
Danish:
styrke
— strength or talent
Faroese:
styrki
— strength or talent
Finnish:
vahvuus
— strength or talent
Finnish:
vahva puoli
— strength or talent
German:
starke Seite
— strength or talent
German:
Stärke
— strength or talent
Hungarian:
erősség
— strength or talent
Italian:
forte
— strength or talent
Italian:
punto forte
— strength or talent
Japanese:
強み
(tsuyomi)
— strength or talent
Lithuanian:
stiprybė
— strength or talent
Polish:
mocna strona
— strength or talent
Portuguese:
forte
— strength or talent
Russian:
си́льная сторона́
(sílʹnaja storoná)
— strength or talent
Russian:
си́ла
(síla)
— strength or talent
Spanish:
fuerte
— strength or talent
Spanish:
punto fuerte
— strength or talent
Swedish:
stark sida
— strength or talent
Swedish:
styrka
— strength or talent
Swedish:
paradgren
— strength or talent
Finnish:
juuri
— the strong part of a sword blade, close to the hilt
Hungarian:
erős
— the strong part of a sword blade, close to the hilt
