/ˈfɔːteɪ/, /fɔːˈteɪ/, /ˈfɔːti/
OriginBorrowed 1640–50; earlier fort < Middle French; disyllabic pronunciation by association with Italian forte, from Latin fortis (“strong”). Doublet of fort and fortis.
- A strength or talent; a strong point.
“He writes respectably, but poetry is not his forte.”
“Between ourselves, the country is rather triste, and you have given me positively a sensation; yet my forte is not the Arcadian: however, I will do my petit possible to console you for the loss of le ”
- The strong part of a sword blade, close to the hilt.
- A passage in music to be played loudly; a loud section of music.
“This forte marks the climax of the second movement.”
- Loudly, as a dynamic in a piece of music.
“(abbreviation) f”
“The musicians played the passage forte.”
- Loud.
“This passage is forte, then there's a diminuendo to mezzo piano.”
Formsfortes(plural) · more forte(comparative) · most forte(superlative) · Fortes(plural)