plural arias also arie
ˈär-ē-ˌā 
1
2
: a striking solo performance (as in a movie)
… Russell Crowe's performance in Gladiator was all about the physical stuff—it was a brute-force aria of fighting and flexing and unleashing hell …—
Jeff Gordinier
Jeff Gordinier3
: a written or spoken passage or text likened to a dramatic or emotional operatic solo
… a plainspoken but moving aria on the joys of rural living …—Lauren Collins
Lauren CollinsExamples of aria in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s the equivalent of the white nightgown in which so many female opera protagonists sing their dying arias just before the final curtain.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
Still, Butterworth and Mendes display a wonderful theatrical intelligence throughout, particularly in the little showstoppers—musical performances, or arias of insult—that punctuate the night.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
Though his features are few — the character never gets an aria of his own — his voice is a thing of multifarious sumptuousness.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
Additional performances include Mascagni and his Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo, Puccini’s arias and duets from Turandot and La Bohème in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the composer's passing,Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
—Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aria 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
Still, Butterworth and Mendes display a wonderful theatrical intelligence throughout, particularly in the little showstoppers—musical performances, or arias of insult—that punctuate the night.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
Though his features are few — the character never gets an aria of his own — his voice is a thing of multifarious sumptuousness.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
Additional performances include Mascagni and his Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo, Puccini’s arias and duets from Turandot and La Bohème in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the composer's passing,Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
—Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aria
Dictionary Entries Near aria
Cite this Entry
“Aria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aria. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aria
noun
: a song in an opera sung by a single voice
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share