Word
forte
/ˈfɔɹt/
Definitions
01a strength or talent
n. something that you are very good at doing.
n. a person's strong point or particular area of expertise.
“Cooking has never been his forte, so he usually orders food instead.”
“While she was a competent researcher, public speaking was never her forte, and she often felt anxious before major presentations.”
Usage
Often used in the negative to politely describe a lack of skill.
Teaching tip
In American English, this is usually pronounced 'for-tay', while some traditional British speakers prefer 'fort'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02loud music
adj. used in music to show that a section should be played loudly.
adj. indicating a loud volume; used as a musical direction.
“The final part of the song is forte and very exciting.”
“The conductor requested a more pronounced forte during the brass fanfare to ensure it carried over the strings.”
Technical
Usage
Usually placed after the noun it describes in musical scores.
Antonyms
03played loudly
adv. played or sung with a loud sound.
adv. to be performed loudly or with force.
“The pianist played the closing chords forte.”
“The score instructs the woodwinds to play forte, providing a sharp contrast to the preceding delicate melody.”
Technical
Antonyms
04part of a sword
n. the strongest part of a sword blade, near the handle.
n. the part of a sword blade between the middle and the hilt, which is the strongest portion for parrying.
“He used the forte of his blade to block the opponent's strike.”
“A skilled fencer knows to catch the opponent's tip with the forte of their own blade to maintain control of the engagement.”
Technical · Archaic
Antonyms
Etymology
Borrowed 1640–50; earlier fort < Middle French; disyllabic pronunciation by association with Italian forte, from Latin fortis (“strong”). Doublet of fort and fortis.
Borrowed from Italian forte (“strong”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/forte