'arioso' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'arioso', where the root 'aria' meant 'song' and the suffix '-oso' meant 'full of' or 'having the quality of'.

'arioso' entered English from Italian (borrowed as 'arioso'), formed from Italian 'aria' + suffix '-oso'; the term has been used in English musical writing since the 18th–19th century to describe a style between aria and recitative.

Initially it meant 'full of melody' (in the sense of 'songlike'), and over time it became used specifically for a short, lyrical vocal passage or piece — the modern musical sense of 'arioso'.