adjectiveadverb
lento
slow
Definition & meaning
Lento means slow: moving, happening, or progressing at a low speed.
It can also describe someone who is slow to understand or react. In music, it means slowly and is used as a tempo marking.
Grammar & Word origin
Lento is an adjective. It agrees with the noun it describes:
It comes from Latin lentus, meaning “slow” or “flexible.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- lento and lento’s close synonym lento-moving, lento-paced: lento can often be replaced by lento’s synonym lento-paced or lento-moving; in Italian, lento’s close synonym lento is not needed here.
- lento’s synonym lento-paced: lento can be expressed as lento’s close synonym lento-moving, or in Italian, lento’s synonym lento is redundant.
- tardivo — “late” or “belated”; refers to timing rather than speed.
- fiacco — “sluggish” or “lacking energy”; emphasizes weakness or lack of vigor.
Antonyms
- veloce — “fast”; the most direct opposite.
- rapido — “quick” or “rapid”; often emphasizes how little time something takes.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Il treno oggi è molto lento.adjective
The train today is very slow.
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