crescendo

1 of 2

noun

cre·​scen·​do krə-ˈshen-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce crescendo (audio)
plural crescendos also crescendoes or crescendi krə-ˈshen-dē How to pronounce crescendo (audio)
Synonyms of crescendonext
1
a
: a gradual increase
a crescendo of excitement
specifically : a gradual increase in volume of a musical passage
b
: the peak of a gradual increase : climax
… complaints about stifling smog conditions reach a crescendo …— Down Beat
2
: a crescendo musical passage
crescendo intransitive verb

Illustration of crescendo

Illustration of crescendo
  • mark indicating crescendo 2

crescendo

2 of 2

adverb or adjective

: with an increase in volume
—used as a direction in music

Synonyms

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of crescendo in a Sentence

Noun The noise rose to a crescendo. excitement in the auditorium slowly built up and reached its crescendo when the star walked on stage
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
White voiced his decision through a slow crescendo of criticism aimed at Lopes over her public statements and actions in the days after White granted Wenger a mistrial, at Lopes’ insistence, earlier this month. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025 Sinking onto Desdemona’s bed, reciting his lines without notable crescendo or feeling, Washington puts Osborne into a weary headlock, and then kind of leans on her to death. — Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025 In Miami, a city sometimes referred to as the capital of Latin America that is home to some 400,000 Brazilians and a tennis tournament that sells itself as a kind of South American grand slam, the Fonseca chorus reached its first crescendo of many. — Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025 The two-track body of work boasts snakey slithering synths, explosive drops, effervescent sounds, hard-hitting tunes, hypnotic soundscapes and erratic beats that build up into a crescendo followed by techno designed to ignite the dance floor. — Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crescendo

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Italian, noun derivative of crescendo "increasing," gerund of crescere "to increase, grow," going back to Latin crēscere "to come into existence, increase in size or numbers" — more at crescent entry 1

Adverb or adjective

borrowed from Italian — more at crescendo entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb Or Adjective

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crescendo was in 1775

Rhymes for crescendo

See All Rhymes for crescendo

Browse Nearby Words

cresc
crescendo
crescendo pedal
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Cite this Entry

“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crescendo. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

crescendo

noun
cre·​scen·​do
kri-ˈshen-dō
plural crescendos or crescendoes
1
: a gradual increase especially in the loudness of music
2
: the peak of a gradual increase
crescendo adverb or adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on crescendo

Nglish: Translation of crescendo for Spanish Speakers

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