fortissimo

[fawr-tis-uh-moh; Italian fawr-tees-see-maw] /fɔrˈtɪs əˌmoʊ; Italian fɔrˈtis siˌmɔ/
adjective
1.
(a direction) very loud.
adverb
2.
(a direction) very loudly.
Origin
1715-25; < Italian; superlative of forte forte2
Examples from the web for fortissimo
  • The volume of the music is always fortissimo so students with some degree of hearing get beat.
  • It begins with an explosion of fortissimo percussive chords, repeated with an almost brutal vehemence.
British Dictionary definitions for fortissimo

fortissimo

/fɔːˈtɪsɪˌməʊ/
adjective, adverb
1.
very loud ff
noun
2.
a very loud passage in music
Word Origin
C18: from Italian, from Latin fortissimus, from fortis strong
Word Origin and History for fortissimo

1724, from Italian fortissimo, superlative of forte "loud, strong," from Latin fortis "strong" (see fort).

fortissimo in Culture
fortissimo [(fawr-tis-uh-moh)]

A musical direction meaning “to be performed very loudly”; the opposite of pianissimo.