Standard Lemma guide

rubato

noun · 2 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

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  • General-American: /rəˈbɑ.toʊ/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A tempo in which strict timing is relaxed, the music being played near, but not on, the beat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tempo rubato

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a flexible tempo; not strictly on the beat

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tempo, pacing

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian rubato (“robbed, stolen”), since the time is "borrowed".

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 伸缩速度 (tán xìng sù dù) — tempo played near, but not on, the beat
  • Chinese Mandarin: 散板 (sǎn bǎn) — tempo played near, but not on, the beat
  • Italian: rubato — tempo played near, but not on, the beat
  • Portuguese: rubato — tempo played near, but not on, the beat