ritornello

refrain

noun ree-tor-NEL-loh Rare

Origin: Diminutive of ritorno (return)

Also means

chorus

Usage Note

Ritornello is the recurring chorus or refrain of a song. It is also used figuratively for something that is repeated ad nauseam: è sempre il solito ritornello ('it's always the same old refrain'). The word entered several European languages via Italian music terminology. The plural is ritornelli.

Examples

"Il ritornello di quella canzone è impossibile da dimenticare."

Natural Translation

The refrain of that song is impossible to forget.

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