Crescendo Definition

krə-shĕndō
crescendi, crescendoed, crescendoes, crescendoing, crescendos
noun
crescendos
A gradual increase in loudness.
Webster's New World
A passage played with a gradual increase in volume or intensity.
American Heritage
A crescendo passage.
Webster's New World
Any gradual increase in force, intensity, etc.
Webster's New World
The climactic point or moment after such a progression.
American Heritage
adjective
With a gradual increase in loudness.
Webster's New World
adverb
With a crescendo.
American Heritage
verb
crescendoed, crescendoes, crescendoing
To build up to or reach a point of great intensity, force, or volume.
American Heritage
To increase gradually in loudness or intensity.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Crescendo

Noun

Singular:
crescendo
Plural:
crescendi, crescendoes, crescendos

Origin of Crescendo

  • Italian present participle of crescere to increase from Latin crēscere ker-2 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Borrowing from Italian crescendo, gerund of crescere (“to grow, to increase”)

    From Wiktionary

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