1607 B. Jonson Volpone ii. ii. sig. D4^v I was condemn'd a 'Sforzato to the Galleys, for poysoning the Cardinall Bemboo's—Cooke. View more context for this quotation

1786 T. Busby Compl. Dict. Music Sforzando, or Sforzato, (Ital.), words signifying that the notes over which they are placed are to struck with force, but continued with comparative softness.

1876 in J. Stainer & W. A. Barrett Dict. Musical Terms

1969 Listener 17 July 89/2 The hard sound of the first ‘g’ in the word is reflected in sforzato harp notes.

1976 Daily Tel. 8 Mar. 8/3 Presumably, if the lost autograph of the 32 in C minor had meanwhile surfaced,..with all sforzatos abolished, this fact would have been mentioned.

1977 ‘E. Crispin’ Glimpses of Moon iii. 41 ‘Derngh!’ he exclaimed in his nose, imitating sforzato stopped horns.

1977 Gramophone Dec. 1098/2 No. 2 in E minor has as its first movement a funeral march that alternates between minor and major and is full of suspensions and sforzati.

1978 Jrnl. Royal Soc. Arts 126 354/1 It is impossible for us to say definitely how soft is soft, or how loud is loud or how much emphasis to put on a sforzato.