soprano
/səˈprɑːnəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /səˈprænəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /sə-ˈpra-(ˌ)nō -ˈprä-/ (ame, mw) · /səˈprɑː.nəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /səˈpræn.oʊ/ (ame, ipa)
soprano — noun
- sopranosingular
- sopranosplural
1. a woman or girl whose voice naturally reaches the highest notes when singing, of
a woman or girl whose voice naturally reaches the highest notes when singing, often in opera or a choir
The soprano held the final high note for a full ten seconds while the audience sat in silence.
Mei-Lin trained for years to become a professional soprano at the Vienna opera house.
soprano as a profession; collocation: professional soprano
Elena was chosen as the lead soprano for the school's spring concert.
- soprano singer
more explicit, less common as a single term
- prima donna
specifically the leading female soprano in opera; carries connotations of a demanding personality
常見錯誤
2. a boy whose voice has not yet deepened and who can sing the highest notes, typic
a boy whose voice has not yet deepened and who can sing the highest notes, typically in a church or school choir
The twelve-year-old soprano sang a solo during the Christmas service at the old cathedral.
boy soprano in a church context
Jamal joined the choir as a soprano when he was nine, before his voice changed.
The choir director trained the three young sopranos to keep their voices light and clear.
- treble
chiefly British; used for a boy soprano in church choirs
用法筆記
This sense applies only to boys before puberty. Once the voice deepens, the singer is no longer referred to as a soprano but as a tenor or bass.
3. a musical instrument built to play the highest notes within its family, especial
a musical instrument built to play the highest notes within its family, especially the soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone has a bright, sharp sound that cuts through the jazz band.
Wei plays a soprano recorder because his fingers are still too small for the larger one.
instrument family: soprano recorder
The shop sells soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone versions of the same clarinet model.
- bass
the instrument with the lowest range in a family
4. the highest natural singing range for the human voice, typically belonging to wo
the highest natural singing range for the human voice, typically belonging to women and boys, covering roughly from middle C upwards
The composer wrote the melody in soprano range, so the higher voices carry the main tune.
Amara has a warm soprano that fills the concert hall without a microphone.
possessive: 'a warm soprano' referring to vocal quality and range
Yuki's soprano has a warm, full tone that suits Mozart's operas perfectly.
用法筆記
When used as an uncountable noun ('to sing soprano'), it describes the vocal range itself. When countable ('a rich soprano'), it describes a voice of that type.
常見錯誤
5. a written musical line meant for the highest voices in a choir or opera ensemble
a written musical line meant for the highest voices in a choir or opera ensemble, typically assigned to the singers with the greatest high-note range
The soprano part in this Handel chorus contains some very demanding high notes.
collocation: soprano part
Fatima struggled to read the soprano line because it had five sharps in the key signature.
The printed score shows the soprano staff at the top, with alto, tenor, and bass below.
- bass part
the lowest voice part in a choral work
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (VOCAL RANGE): this sense refers to the written musical notes themselves, not the vocal ability. You can study the soprano part without being able to sing it.
soprano — adjective
- sopranopositive
- more sopranocomparative
- most sopranosuperlative
1. connected with the highest notes a voice can produce, used to talk about singers
connected with the highest notes a voice can produce, used to talk about singers, instruments, or written music parts that use that high range
The soprano section of the choir practiced their difficult passage for two hours.
Yuki bought a soprano ukulele because it produces a brighter sound than the standard model.
attributive: soprano + instrument name
Priya was assigned the soprano aria in Mozart's opera, which reaches a high C.
- high-pitched
more general; not specific to the soprano range
用法筆記
The adjective is used attributively (before a noun) — you say 'soprano voice', not 'the voice is soprano'. When used predicatively, prefer 'soprano' as a noun: 'Her voice is a soprano.'
常見錯誤
soprano — adverb
1. singing in the highest vocal range
singing in the highest vocal range
The young singer learned to project soprano without straining her throat muscles.
adverbial use: 'to sing soprano' / 'to project soprano'
Leo can sing soprano when the notes are not too high for his current training level.
Aiko sang soprano in the choir while her brother sang bass.
用法筆記
The adverb is most commonly found after verbs like 'sing' or 'perform' without an article: 'to sing soprano' (not 'to sing a soprano').