presto

1 of 3

interjection

pres·​to ˈpre-(ˌ)stō How to pronounce presto (audio)
used to indicate the sudden appearance or occurrence of something often as if by magic

presto

2 of 3

adverb or adjective

1
: suddenly as if by magic : immediately
2
: at a rapid tempo
used as a direction in music

presto

3 of 3

noun

plural prestos
: a presto musical passage or movement

Examples of presto in a Sentence

Adverb or adjective the hungry men dived into the food and, presto, it was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adverb or adjective
In second gear, his singing V-8 seems to jump tempo, allegro to presto. Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 29 May 2020 And, — presto! change-o! — Kiner-Falefa winds up as the third baseman. Dallas News, 9 Mar. 2020
Noun
Throw it on alongside your favorite ambient record and presto: instant Burial. Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2023 The presto of the third was kept extra-presto, with beguiling feints (or faints?) of volume in the repeating theme of the strings. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 13 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for presto 

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

Italian, quick, quickly, from Latin praestus ready, from praesto adverb, on hand; akin to Latin prae before — more at for

First Known Use

Interjection

circa 1599, in the meaning defined above

Adverb Or Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of presto was circa 1599

Dictionary Entries Near presto

Cite this Entry

“Presto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presto. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

presto

adverb or adjective
pres·​to
ˈpres-tō
1
: suddenly as if by magic
a wave of the hand and, presto, it's gone
2
: at a rapid tempo
used as a direction in music

More from Merriam-Webster on presto

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!