CRESCENDO Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

crescendo

[ kri-shen-doh, -sen-doh; Italian kre-shen-daw ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural crescendos, crescendi

Music.
1. a gradual, steady increase in loudness or force.
2. a musical passage characterized by such an increase.
3. the performance of a crescendo passage:
  The crescendo by the violins is too abrupt.
Antonyms:
a steady increase in force or intensity:
The rain fell in a crescendo on the rooftops.
the climactic point or moment in such an increase; peak:
The authorities finally took action when public outrage reached a crescendo.

adjective

gradually increasing in force, volume, or loudness ( decrescendo or diminuendo ).

verb (used without object)

to grow in force or loudness.

crescendo

/ ��ɪˈʃɛ�Ի�əʊ /

noun

music
1. a gradual increase in loudness or the musical direction or symbol indicating this crescwritten over the music affected
2. ( as modifier )
  a crescendo passage
a gradual increase in loudness or intensity
the rising crescendo of a song
a peak of noise or intensity
the cheers reached a crescendo

verb

intr to increase in loudness or force

adverb

with a crescendo

crescendo

A musical direction used to indicate increasing loudness.

Discover More

Notes

The term is sometimes used figuratively to indicate rising intensity in general: “As the days went on, there was a crescendo of angry letters about my speech.” Crescendo is also sometimes misused to indicate a peak of intensity, as in, “The angry letters about my speech hit a crescendo on Wednesday.”

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of crescendo¹

1770–80; < Italian: literally, growing < Latin ��ŧ��Ի�ܳ�, gerund of ��ŧ�� to grow; crescent

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of crescendo¹

C18: from Italian, literally: increasing, from crescere to grow, from Latin

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It crescendoed in the seventh, when the Dodgers stormed all the way back from what had been a four-run deficit, only to watch a temporary one-run lead fail to last.

From

Siegfried Merzbacher, it seems, had received a well-timed job transfer just as the persecution of Jews in Germany was reaching a crescendo.

From

In the opening lines of “Vilified,” the first track of his latest album, “I Want Blood,” he sings, “Simulate the feel / Of all that’s true and real / Hey-a schadenfreude crescendo / Hey-a skew the innuendo.”

From

Kuritzkes: A tennis match has its own sort of logic, its own dramatic logic, and it’s building to a crescendo.

From

The crescendo of outrage at the health care system lately has some arguably valid complaints.

From

Related 51�Թ�s

Browse